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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25522561">Another Wasted Love Song</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealityOfTheMatter/pseuds/RealityOfTheMatter'>RealityOfTheMatter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Love Island (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:15:57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>54,597</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25522561</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealityOfTheMatter/pseuds/RealityOfTheMatter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life is full of surprises. Sometimes your ex cheats on you, sometimes your best friend forgets your birthday, and sometimes your newest lover switches up without any warning.</p><p>Okay, so granted a lot of those surprises aren’t that great. But hey! Sometimes you get invited to join a reality TV show where you can win fifty thousand pounds. Who doesn’t want to be 50k richer? The only problem is that in recent years Robyn has become no stranger to knowing that love isn't easy. And unfortunately, the only way to win is to fall in love.</p><p>And after joining Love Island in order to recover from her last heartbreak, she finds that she wasn’t prepared for the difficult journey to the finale. Will she choose the first boy who caught her eye, her best friend and confidant, or the new boy prepared to sweep her off her feet?</p><p>Honestly? I don’t even know. But I’m sure Robyn will figure it out.</p><p>Season 3 hasn’t been as much of a roller coaster as I’d like so I decided to make it into one. A special thanks goes out to mrsgaryrennell, who is literally my editor, and lasswithhumor, who provides me with inspiration for this story everyday. Without their continued support, this probably wouldn't even be half as good.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Camilo/Main Character (Love Island), Nicky &amp; Main Character (Love Island), Tai/Main Character (Love Island)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Her Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Robyn’s Prologue - Behind the Walls</strong>
</p><p>There hadn’t been many times in Robyn’s life when she felt a fire burning through her chest. But this moment, tops anything she’s ever felt before. She wasn’t confrontational, she didn’t like to fight, she didn’t always call people out on their bullshit when she should have. But she couldn’t take this anymore.</p><p>“So what are we doing here?” She asks, her hands thrown in the air. Her vision begins to blur, only adding to her frustration. Robyn hated to cry, humiliation claws its way into her chest at the idea of tears running down her face in front of the young man sitting across from her.</p><p>“I don’t know,” he mumbles and shrugs. The carelessness in his voice sends another bolt of fire through her. All the time that they had spent together, all the effort she made, was now meaningless with three simple words.</p><p>But her mind wasn’t able to process that. How could she let their relationship go so easily? Weren’t you supposed to fight for the man that you loved? No matter what? Isn’t that what love was?</p><p>“You don’t know?” She asks, staring back at him in disbelief. “What do you mean you don’t know? I’m so fucking confused and I’m sick of playing these back and forth games with you. I need to know what we are.”</p><p>To her, it was so obvious. They were friends, they were lovers. They could call each other in the middle of the night and fall asleep on the phone. He made her world feel right. But now?</p><p>He simply takes a deep breath before running his hands through his hair in frustration, “Robyn, look… You’re nice to have around. Really nice, but that’s all it ever was. We were just…” He squirms in his seat as his eyes darted around his living room, as if he had written the correct answer somewhere on the walls.</p><p>“Hanging out?” He finally adds, sounding unsure of himself, “I don’t know what you thought we were, but…” His voice trails off as he struggles to find the right words to break her heart. The eyes that once made her feel like the only woman in the world finally looked back at her with such pity that it made her sick. He didn’t even bother to finish his sentence as an uncomfortable silence hangs in the air between them.</p><p>Her lower lip begins to tremble as reality settles in. The two of them were never anything at all.</p><p>Robyn knew deep down that she just got fucking played. She just didn’t want to accept that she could be so stupid or that this once perfect man would be so heartless as to disregard her feelings like this. Even after all the nights he wrapped his arms around her and she thought she knew in her heart that he would be the last time that she fell in love.</p><p>She worked so hard to be enough for him. To be the type of girl that could make him fall in love.</p><p>Why wasn’t she still enough?</p><p>She pinches the bridge of her nose to gather her senses. She wants to descend into despair, but she can’t allow it. She closes her eyes in order to summon the strength that she would need to walk away.</p><p>I will not cry. I will not cry.</p><p>A man who wasn’t even her boyfriend just shattered her heart. The pain was familiar, but for some reason it was worse than any pain she’s felt before. She didn’t know that love could hurt so bad. But she can suppress the pain. She could ignore it. However, she couldn’t ignore the weight of his eyes on her any longer. So she takes a deep breath before opening her eyes again.</p><p>“That doesn’t matter. We had something together. You can’t just try to control who I talk to and the next minute decide to start talking to my friends on the side. One of my best friends and you had the audacity to think that I wouldn’t find out.”</p><p>He just rolls his eyes and crosses his arms like he was getting ready to listen to a lecture in his least favorite class. And that cut deeper than any words he could have spoken.</p><p>He didn’t give a fuck about what she knew. He knew what he did and he didn’t care about any consequences regarding her. His nonchalant attitude shows that he isn’t going to fight for her.</p><p>She opens her mouth to speak again before shutting it close. It didn’t matter what she said, it didn't matter what she thought they could be. None of it mattered. Her shoulders drop as some of the tension in her body drains away.</p><p>This was a battle that she had lost. He didn’t care about her. She knew that much now. There was no point in fighting for someone who wouldn’t fight for her.</p><p>“Actually..” she shakes her head in a sad attempt to regain her composure, “Don’t worry about it. Whatever this was,” she swallows back the lump in her throat, “It’s over.”</p><p>“Then just go, Robyn,” he simply sits back, avoiding her eyes, “We don’t have anything else to talk about.” If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he had the nerve to look amused. Like he was getting off on the fact that he had held her heart and had the power to break it. But what would she know? She obviously didn’t know him as well as she thought she did. She couldn’t even stand to look at him anymore.</p><p>She wants to cuss him out. She wants to fight. She wants to slap that smirk off his face. She wants to let it be known that she’s angry and that she’s hurt, but she was too prideful to give him any satisfaction in knowing that she cared.</p><p>They stare at each other for another moment before she finally grabs her purse and rushes through the front door of his apartment. He didn’t even bother to get up to show her out the door.</p><p>Robyn rushes down the steps of his apartment in a frenzy, nearly tripping over the last two steps. She just can’t get away fast enough. She hops into her car, paying no mind to the random woman on the street who asks if she was alright.</p><p>But instead of driving off into the night like she originally planned, she simply sits there. Time slows down and the sound of her slamming the car door seems to echo in her mind. Her hands immediately grip the steering wheel as if her life depended on it. She can only concentrate on staring straight ahead, caught up in her thoughts and emotions.</p><p>She’s trying to make sense of the embarrassment and the ache in her heart.</p><p>It’s crazy because once she went through all the time that she wasted, she realized that all of the red flags were there. She was able to take note of every little thing that should have made her leave him alone.</p><p>And she wasn’t stupid. She knew better. This wasn’t the first time someone broke her heart. How could she forget finding out that her ex cheated on her on multiple occasions throughout their long-term relationship?</p><p>Except this relationship was different. She wasn’t his actual girlfriend. He didn’t owe her anything. Apparently, they were just “hanging out”. And being the idiot that she was, she was okay to spend time with him without the labels until things began to get more complicated.</p><p>They started catching feelings for each other. Or at least she started catching feelings for him, fooled into thinking that his motives meant that he cared about her when in reality, he only cared about himself and his reputation. How could she think that he cared about her when he wanted to date her best friend instead? Rather than being honest with her, both of them decided to be together behind her back.</p><p>It stung worse because they were supposed to be the two people in the world that she could trust the most.</p><p>The soft yellow light of the street lamps begin to blur and merge together as Robyn continues to fight back tears. But she’s too prideful to allow herself to cry even when she’s alone. The two of them didn’t deserve her tears.</p><p>And she knew she would be okay. This heartbreak was only temporary. She’d get over it. She could move on.</p><p>Robyn finally takes a deep breath and turns the key in the ignition, getting ready to pull out of a place that would forever be burned into her memory as a hellhole. She didn’t bother with the radio or the aux cord. There wasn’t a song in this life that could soothe her soul right now.</p><p>But before she can even make it out of the parking lot, the sky opens up. The pitter-patter of raindrops falls onto the windows of her car. Eventually painting a portrait that reflects the way her vision was recently blurred by tears. It was as if the universe wanted to mock her unwillingness to cry so it cried for her.</p><p>The universe wanted to rub it in? Fine. Her lesson was learned. She would never let a man treat her like this again. She wouldn't be a clown for anyone else.</p><p>And to her so-called friend who let him lead her on like this, fuck her too.</p><p>Robyn drives home in silence, repeating to herself that no matter what, she would always be able to move on. But she couldn’t help the little voice inside her head that told her it was her fault, that maybe she was the problem?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The New Girl</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>He takes a quick sip of his tea, arching a brow at her, “Why? You’ve got your eye on me?” </p><p>Robyn offers him a sly smirk, “Let’s say, hypothetically, that you are my type. Would you like it if I picked you?” </p><p>He laughs, offering her another genuine smile, “Well, hypothetically, I think I’d really like that. I hope that you and I are going to be close. I know it wasn’t much, but the kiss at challenge today…”</p><p>He blushes after hearing himself out loud and glances down at the mug in his hand, “I dunno, it felt kinda special..."</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Part I - Bombshell</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The bright Spanish sun hangs high in the sky causing waves of heat to show in the distance. Luckily, for the set crew shuffling suitcases onto the conveyor belt, the stage provides a bit of relief. They worked quietly as the group of season three islanders are participating in a challenge on the other side of the stage, unaware of the newcomer preparing herself to meet them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Robyn, so we’re just going to have you step into a suitcase…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Into a suitcase?” The young woman arches a brow at Vanessa, the director of today’s set. Robyn can’t believe that her first appearance on international television will be of her climbing out of a suitcase. She was going to be a meme by tomorrow morning; so much for being the picture of grace.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vanessa laughs half-heartedly at her expression, “Yes. So let me fill you in. The other islanders are currently playing an airport themed challenge.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn glances at the back of the stage and thinks that at least it explains the conveyor belt. She wasn’t given much information before arriving today. She only knew that she’d be arriving after everyone else was already coupled up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re sending out secrets for the islanders to read in these suitcases,” Vanessa continues, gesturing towards them. “The secrets are located in each of the suitcases. The islanders have to guess who the secret belongs to by giving them a kiss.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, that explains the applications,” Robyn replies with a chuckle. The application that she completed for the show asked for several of her juicy and embarrassing secrets.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Vanessa grins, “The suitcase at the bottom of this stack has your secret in it. The boys are currently reading out secrets for the girls. Soon they’re going to read yours and once they do, we’re going to send out that larger suitcase there,” She points towards the tall colorful suitcase, “And ta-da! One of the boys will unzip it and you’ll be in it! That’s your entrance. Make it one to remember.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn nods with a polite smile, trying to ignore the knot of nerves in the pit of her stomach. To be honest, she’s still a bit skeptical of her ability to make a grand entrance. Especially, out of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>suitcase</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She woke up this morning knowing that this moment was coming, but it’s still the craziest thing that she’s ever done in her life. Not only is she going to be a reality TV star within the next five minutes, but she's going to be the new girl in the Villa that everyone could possibly hate. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole experience is way out of her comfort zone. It’s a well-known fact that she would have to steal one of the guys within the next 24 hours. However, the only way for her to be on the show was to be in this position. And unfortunately, she knows life is too short for her to stay in her cozy little bubble for the rest of her life. Plus, she’s tired of being lonely and has finally convinced herself that she wants to try love again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After her most recent heartbreak, Robyn tried everything to fill the void that was left in her heart. She tried new hobbies, read a million different books, created new habits, and lost weight. She even went as far as to get a new job, but nothing seemed to work. She knows she could try to fight it all she wanted, but she’s a lover. She loves the idea of being in love and she thought two years would be enough time for her to recover. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And what better place to test her theory than on Love Island? At least here, it would be harder for her partner to cheat and get away with it. But she would be risking the possibility of being humiliated again. And this time, her pain could be on full display for the world. But she had to hold onto the dream that everyone here is looking for love. That dream is the only thing that pulls her from the self-isolation she endured for the last few years.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you ready, Robyn?” Vanessa asks, snapping her from a deep ponder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” Robyn blinks, turning towards Vanessa and another member of the stage crew. Vanessa flashes her a huge smile, gesturing towards the suitcase as the man holds it open for her. Oddly, it reminds Robyn of a meme where Spongebob and Patrick are holding open a coffin. She starts to wonder, is this experience going to be the death of her? The thought causes a brief moment of dread and she wants to run the opposite direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What was she thinking? This is crazy. How on earth is she going to find </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> love on reality TV? Unfortunately, by the look on Vanessa’s face, it’s too late to back out now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Robyn! We’re running out of time,” Vanessa frantically says. She gently grabs  Robyn by the arm and pulls her towards the suitcase. “Look, I know you must be nervous about being the new girl after everyone is already coupled up, but trust me. The boys are going to love you! You’re gorgeous, you look like a young Nia Long. You’re smart, accomplished, the total package.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sheesh, Vanessa. Are you sure you don’t wanna just couple up with me instead?” Robyn laughs nervously while climbing into the suitcase. Turns out it wasn’t actually that bad. It was quite roomier than Robyn thought it would be; or maybe she was just short. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What can I say?” Vanessa flashes a grin, “I know how to pick out a bombshell.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A bombshell, huh?” Robyn replies as Vanessa begins to zip up the suitcase. She didn’t feel like much of a bombshell, despite the effort she put into her appearance today. The creamy bikini that she’s wearing flatters her dark complexion and emphasizes the rose golden accent of her layered necklaces. She wears a simple pair of earrings to match.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Robyn,” Vanessa pauses and looks her in the eyes with a warm smile, “You. Are. A. Bombshell. We need a woman like you. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t a real threat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even though she knows she’s supposed to take that as a compliment, Robyn can’t avoid a grimace as she isn’t sure how she feels about that. Was she chosen solely because other women would feel intimidated by her? She already had a difficult time making friends. Why couldn’t they all just get along?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, yeah.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That’s right. Because she was going to steal someone else’s man. She had been on the receiving end of that before. She couldn’t help, but mentally prepare herself to feel like shit tomorrow. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right, I’ll remember that when I’m falling out of this suitcase on TV after going around the carousel a few times,” Robyn finally replies with another nervous laugh, “Do you think that’ll be an entrance to remember?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Vanessa chuckles and shakes her head, “Oh, Robyn. You’re going to be such a treat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As Vanessa slides the zipper further up, the suitcase begins to feel more and more cramped. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So much for it being roomier than she thought. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Just before the suitcase shut, Vanessa graces Robyn with one last bit of encouragement, “Good luck! Not that you really need it. Remember, you’re the bombshell.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And with that, her world went dark. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s stomach drops as she feels herself being lifted by the set crew. She braces her arms against the sides of the tight interior and waits until she feels the suitcase settling on the conveyor belt. Surprisingly, she manages to regain her balance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath, she reminds herself of how good she looks in these heels. They’re the same shade of rose gold as her accessories and have strings that travel up her legs for a goddess look. They make her feel sexy, forcing her to stand up taller and hold her head up higher. Despite her nerves, she knows she looks good. Like Vanessa said, she wouldn’t be here if she wasn’t a bombshell - </span>
  <em>
    <span>a well-accomplished, sweet and sexy little bombshell</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She just has to remember that when this suitcase eventually opens. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, wow!” A woman’s voice penetrates the walls of the suitcase, “That’s one huge suitcase!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe how big it is!” Someone else announces. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughs to herself at their surprise, knowing these girls are in for a shock. She takes one last deep breath before preparing a picture perfect smile. This is her moment.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Here we go</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Part II - Strawberry Lip Gloss</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo feels his heart beating heavy in his chest as he walks towards the suitcase. Why is it so big? And when did he become so nervous to open it? Something tells him that the contents of this suitcase are about to change everything. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the split second the islanders had before it came rolling out, none of the girls would admit to writing smutty fanfiction in their youth. Could it be possible that the guilty party is in here? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my gosh! Open it already, Camilo!” Elladine squeals. Everyone’s waiting expectantly as he finally grabs the zipper and pulls it open.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can hear himself gasp out loud as a pair of deep chocolate colored eyes meet his. She carries a shy smile that contrasts a confident gaze. The woman inside the suitcase is breathtaking, but not like the girls you would see in magazines. Her beauty was warm like the spark of a fire in the middle of winter, everyone would be looking forward to its heat. The air between them crackles and Camilo knows in that moment that he’ll fight every man in the villa to get the closest spot to that fire.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” she says, a slow grin spreading across her face as he continues to stare in awe.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi...” he manages to reply, automatically feeling a lopsided grin form. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did you want to see the rest of me or was this enough?” She laughs, “Either way, I think the others might want to get a good look at me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah! Sorry, sorry,” He bites his lip, slightly embarrassed as he finishes unzipping the suitcase. He hears the others gasp as she comes into their full view. Suddenly, his eyes go wide, remembering where he’s currently at. Dammit, he knows that Iona would have seen this whole display. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo tries his hardest not to stare as he steps back to give her space. But he couldn’t help as his eyes trail up from her lavender painted toes, up to the long dark locs that traveled over her shoulders and framed her heart shaped face. He soaks in the sight of the creamy white swimsuit that gives way to her stylish aura while still revealing the exquisite curves of her body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the new girl steps out of the suitcase, he feels the air between the islanders shift. The atmosphere is now indescribable. He glances back to judge the reactions of the other guys and is glad to know that he’s not the only one who’s forgotten where he’s at. Harry’s mouth hung open, Bill remains speechless for the first time since entering the Villa, and Nicky suddenly looks nervous; even Seb looks thrown off his rocker. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the girls? It’s a good thing this is being recorded because the looks on their faces are priceless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait...what?” Miki says, her eyes blinking rapidly in disbelief, “But…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a new girl!” Genevieve squeals nervously, her eyes widening as the new girl takes center stage. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi everyone! The queen has arrived,” she says before doing a little spin and bowing dramatically. Her bright eyes looked back at the others expectedly, her good humor is evident, “That was just a joke by the way. I’m Robyn.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow! Welcome to the Villa, hun!” Elladine says with a bright smile, “Oh my gosh. You are so gorgeous.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> Elladine and Genevieve are the first to rush over to greet Robyn in a tight hug. AJ follows closely behind and approaches Robyn with a welcoming smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However Miki and Iona hang back, looking slightly pissed. Iona’s jaw clenches so tightly that Camilo’s afraid she’d shatter her teeth. Her eyes align with his gaze for a brief moment and Camilo knows he's in trouble. They’re going to need a chat already even though it’s only been a couple of hours since they’ve entered the Villa. The drama is already heating up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But how can anyone ignore the excitement that Robyn has brought into the Villa? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo takes a moment to shoot the guys a grin while the girls seem distracted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you guys going to introduce yourselves or are you going to just stare at her?” He says with a laugh because they still looked dumbfounded. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You mean like you did a couple of seconds ago?” Seb asks,  finally looking away from Robyn with an arched brow, “At least she’s not stuck in a suitcase now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I was just shocked that there was an actual person in there,” Camilo says, trying to play it cool, “In my defense, I wasn’t expecting her.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, who would have expected such a beautiful woman to be dropped into the Villa today? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I would have definitely done the same thing,” Harry says, his eyes still on Robyn. If Camilo never saw someone fall in love at first-sight, he definitely had some idea of what it looked like now. Harry looks absolutely smitten. Hell, he probably had the same look on his face moments ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t even tell her your name,” Nicky chuckles, “Did you forget it?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Camilo couldn’t help but laugh, “Okay. So you caught me. Maybe I forgot, but there will be plenty of time for her to learn my name.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, uh huh,” Seb replies, “But you’re right. We should probably go introduce ourselves…”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Watch and learn, guys,” Bill says suddenly, puffing out his chest. He pats Harry on his shoulder as he passes by to greet Robyn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Welcome to Love Island, your majesty. I’m Bill, please consider me your loyal subject,” Bill grins at her as he takes her hand and brings it to his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, wow,” Robyn laughs out loud, taken aback by Bill’s confidence, “Why, thank you, Bill.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She glances nervously towards the spot where Miki and Iona are standing, “But you’re going to get me into loads of trouble already.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Miki says, finally stepping up to them. She’s obviously annoyed, “I’ll say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill stares back at Miki and cringes, “Sorry, Miki. It was just a joke. I didn’t mean… um..uh..”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she says, rolling her eyes at him before pushing her way to embrace Robyn, “Hi, Robyn. I’m Miki, I’m the one lucky enough to be coupled with this guy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ouch,” Robyn says, shooting Bill a look of pity before turning back to Miki, “It’s nice to meet you. But I wish I had a better first impression, I was honestly just joking. I didn’t think anyone would actually go along with it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Miki offers her a tight smile, “Oh, no worries! That had nothing to do with you. It has everything to do with him. We’ll have a chat later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Miki grabs Bill by the arm as they walk away, whispering something into his ear. Bill winces and looks down at his feet. Robyn shakes her head and smiles nervously before turning to Iona, “Hi, I’m Robyn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” Iona says sweetly, before offering Robyn a quick hug, “I’m Iona, I’m the lucky girl coupled up with Camilo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona makes her way over to him and wraps herself around his arm, obviously marking her territory. Camilo resists the urge to roll his eyes and smiles at Robyn instead. Removing his arm from Iona’s grip, he offers Robyn a hug which she warmly returns.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hola chica. Welcome to the Villa,” he offers her a dazzling smile and allows his hands to linger on her hips for a split second before backing away. It’s a simple gesture, subconscious even, but it makes the chemistry between them undeniable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I kind of forgot to mention my name”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s alright,” she returns the friendly smile, “It’s nice to meet you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me,” Camilo says, unable to resist leaning down to whisper in her ear, “The pleasure’s all mine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A rose colored blush blossoms on her chestnut colored cheeks as she shyly glances away. An adorable giggle breaks free from her lush lips as she fights off a huge smile. In that moment, Camilo envisions that he could have a chance with her. Images of recreating that smile stir up a determination in him to take her all for himself.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, we had a clue, right?” AJ reminds the group. She catches Camilo’s eye and wrinkles her nose. She wasn’t completely unaware of the moment being shared between them, “Was it about you, Robyn? Did you really…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughs and shrugs, “I dunno, I can’t give anything away.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I think I can guess who to kiss now…” Camilo says, fighting off a grin that threatens to reveal his intentions too soon. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The blush on Robyn’s cheeks deepens as he steps back towards her. He places his hand on the side of her face as he gently presses his lips against hers. It’s a soft and tender kiss but the sweet taste of strawberry lip gloss has him instantly addicted. Hopefully, this would be the first of many more to come.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Woo!” Aj cheers and shoots him a thumbs up as he pulls away. He shoots her with a thankful smile and she winks in return. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Thank goodness for AJ. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So was he right?” AJ curiously asks Robyn  as the other islanders look over. Some stare with jealousy while others look over with envy. He has to pretend that Iona’s eyes aren’t burning through the back of his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep!” She laughs and runs her fingers through her locs, “It was me, the shameless smutty fanfic writer.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Awe,” Elladine laughs along with her, “Don’t worry! I was probably reading it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girls burst into a fit of giggles as they surround Robyn once more, enclosing her in a tight circle as they continue to introduce themselves, filing her in on who’s coupled up with who. Camilo’s certain that they were actually doing their best to keep her from the guys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how was the kiss, mate?” Seb asks Camilo with a smirk, making his way back over to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carefully leaning over, Camilo keeps his voice low so that Iona won’t overhear, “A straight firecracker, bruv.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That good, huh?” Seb looks at him surprised, “Don’t tell Iona that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter,” Bill interrupts them with a sharp whisper, “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Camilo. But I’m coming for the next one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bill, if you want a kiss, all you have to do is ask,” Camilo replies with a smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill pauses and looks at him deadpan while Seb and Nicky laugh, “Not one from you!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A text chimes out, interrupting Camilo before he could let out another snarky response. Everyone stops and turns to see who’s phone it is.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s me!” Harry announces, pulling his phone out of his pocket.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Islanders, now that the bombshell has landed, it’s the end of the challenge. Hopefully you’ve all learnt a little bit more about your fellow islanders. Now the dirt is dished, it’s time for Robyn to go and get to know you all. #excessbaggage #gettingtoknowyou</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Part III - Hypothetically</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Boys, boys!” Genevieve shouts, silencing each of the guys as they turn to look at her, “Enough! Give Robyn a chance to speak. She hasn’t been able to get a word in since we got back to the Villa.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Miki adds, crossing her arms over her chest, “You’re all being a bit much.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The boys all look surprised, glancing at Robyn to judge her reaction. They’re not surprised to see the same expression on her face. She exchanges a look with them and simply shrugs. She obviously doesn’t want to upset the other girls so she’s happy to go along with whatever they suggest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t we show you around the Villa instead?” Aj offers, “It’ll give the boys some time to cool down.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we get she’s the new girl, but come on, guys,” Iona rolls her eyes, “Let the girl breathe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Time for a proper Villa tour, Robyn!” Elladine announces, standing from her seat at the fireplace with a smile, “Let’s go, girls! I was born for this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s not fair!” Bill replies with a frown, “You’ve already got to talk to her at the challenge.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And we’re going to talk to her some more,” Miki responds, taking Robyn by the arm, “You boys can have a turn later!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn smiles politely as the girls pull her to her feet. She glances back at the boys as they reluctantly wave at her. They all share the same look of disappointment. Robyn sighs and wonders how much later their conversations will have to wait? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Several hours later, after a proper interview and tour of the Villa from the girls, Robyn finally has a moment to catch her breath in the kitchen. She bites her lip as she places the kettle on the stove, hoping for an uninterrupted moment to herself. She anticipates that a cup of tea would calm her nerves. </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It’s been nearly three hours talking with the other islanders non-stop. She spoke about her career, what she does in her free time, where she was from, and what type of men she tends to go for. She must admit, she’s surprised at how kind everyone has treated her... Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mostly everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona and Miki seem to be the most put off by her arrival in the Villa. Bill made it clear that he was interested in her and Miki was obviously annoyed by that. Plus, Iona immediately made it clear that she didn’t want Robyn to even look in Camilo’s direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately for Iona, Camilo was just her type. She smiles to herself, remembering the way that he placed a sweet kiss on her lips at the end of the challenge; it wasn’t overbearing. He wasn’t overly eager like a young boy. He kissed her like a gentleman and it made the kiss feel just right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She thinks that maybe it was fate that he was the one who peeked into that suitcase and met her eyes. She remembers thinking that he must have been the most handsome man she’s ever laid eyes on. But nothing could have prepared her for the sight of the rest of the boys. Their brief interactions throughout the day left a multitude of impressions on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky’s dreads and dark golden-brown skin were gorgeous. He had found a way to reinforce the idea that they were all here dreaming of love, only to turn around and make everyone laugh at themselves. Seb had an air of authenticity about him that was refreshing. Plus she would love nothing more than to run her fingers through his long hair. Harry was adorable, seemingly sweet and funny. She had a feeling that his optimism was unmatched. And Bill was a unique character. His blue eyes hinted that he was unafraid to speak his mind and pull you in for a discussion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was easy to just say that each and everyone of the boys were fit in their own right. And they all seem a bit keen to get to know her, but she wants to be careful not to mistake their friendliness for actual interest. Regardless, it’s going to be a tough decision picking someone tomorrow evening. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But… There’s something that drew her back to Camilo. Maybe it’s because he’s the first person that she saw stepping out of that suitcase. She couldn’t really be sure, but she feels lucky to have captured the attention of the blue-eyed Latino. He’s unexpectedly handsome and she mistook the rare blue color of his eyes for the summertime sky. The silly lopsided grin on his face was a welcomed relief from the anxiety she felt from being new to the Villa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hola Chica,” Robyn jumps and turns to see Camilo himself standing at the edge of the kitchen with a smile, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hola,” she responds with a small laugh, “No, it’s fine. I’m jumpy, I’m not used to having so many people around.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I feel you,” Camilo replies with a smile as he comes closer, leaning up against the counter, “It can take some getting used to. I have to admit that I’m actually used to a bunch of people being around. Being at the restaurant, I’m around my family all the time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah?” Robyn asks, “I’m around my family all the time too. Brunch every Sunday.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See! I knew I liked you,” Camilo grins, “How is your family if you don’t mind me asking?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rowdy,” she says without hesitation, “I know I’ve been pretty quiet since joining the Villa, but my family is off the chain.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo laughs, “I know what you mean. My family’s like that, too. Always something going on. Something loud. People think we’re arguing even when we’re agreeing!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” Robyn laughs along with him, “But it’s a great way to learn how to speak up for yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so right,” Camilo nods in agreement, “I honestly don’t know what kind of person I would be without them. You feel me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn smiles, “I feel you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them share a warm smile and in that moment, something between them ignites. It’s like finding the one person in the world who understands what it’s like to be yourself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how are you finding the Villa?” Camilo asks casually, “I know the girls took you on a tour.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs softly, “Yeah, it was a great tour. The Villa is amazing. I honestly can’t believe I’m actually here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You better believe it,” he grins, “It’s actually a lot better now that you’re here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Her eyes flutter up to meet his, “Is that right? I don’t think everyone would agree.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter if they do,” Camilo smiles, “I think you’re a great addition to the Villa.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes, turning away to look out over the lawn, “Thank you, that means a lot.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“By the way,” he adds, “I never got the chance to say it earlier, but I absolutely love the swimsuit. You looked like a total goddess when you climbed out of that suitcase. It looks so good on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her blush deepens and she pushes a loc behind her ear, “Oh, you’re just saying that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? No way,” she feels the heat from his body as he stepped closer to her, “I’m serious. You’re beautiful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She risks a glance towards his direction, “You really think so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He places his hand on her shoulder, guiding her so that she’s facing him again. He seems unaware of how that simple gesture affects her, “Of course I do. Do you want me to prove it?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A small laugh escapes her lips, “Maybe? I’m kind of scared to know how you plan on doing that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo chuckles, pulling her closer to him and leans over to whisper in her ear, “You shouldn’t be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The sound and close proximity of his voice sends shivers down her spine. He knows exactly what he’s doing to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no,” she says, pushing against his chest and laughing out loud, “Not today, Satan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo laughs, “What? Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>Satan</span>
  </em>
  <span>… I’m sorry,” he takes a step back, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t,” she shoots him a suspicious look, “I just know what you’re doing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He put his hands up as he took another step back in an attempt to look innocent, “I’m not doing anything.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ummhm,” she says, rolling her eyes playful, “Sure you weren’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Honestly,” he laughs nervously, “I just wanted to know if you were just as affected by me as I am by you.”</span>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks up at her with such a strong sincerity in his blue eyes that it forces her to look away once again. The sincerity she thought she saw in his eyes makes her nervous. Even though she’s still not ready to face this type of vulnerability so soon, Robyn needs to remember that she’s come here to give herself a chance to find someone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t want to fall into a habit of mistaking honey for the bees. If she’s going to allow herself to fall in love, she’ll have to be receptive when someone’s being honest with her. And, what better time to start practicing then now? So, she finds the courage to close the gap between them in order to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. The warmth of his brown skin leaves a delightful sensation lingering upon her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo looks up at her surprised, a smile dancing on his lips, “Robyn, I guess that means you like me too.” He can’t ignore the temptation to ask and his grin stretches, “Any chance I could get another?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs, “I’m afraid not. That’s all for now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He opens his mouth to speak, but he’s abruptly interrupted as the kettle screams in their direction, causing them both to jump. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, let me get this!” Robyn turns quickly, grateful for the distraction as she takes the kettle away from the stove, “Would you like a cuppa, Camilo?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, I’ll take one,” Camilo replies, “Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” she says with a smile. Robyn forces herself to focus on the task in front of her, fixing her eyes on the pair of mugs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she’s fixing the tea, she can’t ignore the tingling sensation she’s feeling every time Camilo glances at her direction. She could hardly fight off the smile on her face. He’s definitely in her top two but she can’t get carried away. She knows she’s got a tendency to fall quickly and fall hard; it seems to be all or nothing. Even a simple kiss on the cheek can be dangerous for her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not to mention that she is out of practice controlling her emotions when it comes to dating. She can’t allow herself to let go again so soon, only to be hurt in the end. Plus, she can’t ignore the fact that Camilo’s still coupled up with Iona. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Camilo, can I ask you a question?” Robyn curiously asks, mustering up the courage to meet his gaze once again.   </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, ask me anything you like,” he replies, an honest gleam in his eyes as they fixate on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But there’s something else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>An underlying heat flaring in his gaze urging her to look away, but she can’t resist this time. The same chemistry from earlier in the day came roaring back to life as she recalls the small spark from their kiss. Camilo’s eyes flicker down to her lips before he looks back up to meet hers. It’s a silent dare to ask him a different question than she’s originally intended.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was your question, Robyn?” Camilo asks, his voice heavy and breathless.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So… how are you and Iona?” She asks, finding the necessary courage to break away from his gaze as she hands over his mug. There’s no way she could be so attracted to Camilo this early on. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Get a grip, girl</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She doesn’t want to give anyone the wrong impression, no matter how easy it would have been to kiss him seconds ago. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo shrugs casually, seeming to recover quickly from the brief moment, “We’re alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He takes a quick sip of his tea, arching a brow at her, “Why? You’ve got your eye on me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes, “Bold of you to assume I don’t have my eye on Iona.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what? You’re so right,” He says, rubbing the back of his neck as a nervous laugh escapes his lips, “I shouldn’t assume.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Exactly,” Robyn offers him a sly smirk, “But let’s say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hypothetically</span>
  </em>
  <span>, that you are my type. Would you like it if I picked you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs, offering her another genuine smile, “Well, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hypothetically, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I think I’d really like that. I hope that you and I are going to be close. I know it wasn’t much, but the kiss at challenge today…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo blushes after hearing himself out loud and glances down at the mug in his hand, “I dunno, it felt kinda special. I know a bunch of guys are probably saying stuff like that to you, but I really do like you, Robyn. I know we’ve just met, but I’d be stoked if you picked me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn bites her lip and tries to keep herself from jumping up and down from excitement. Yes! One of the fittest boys in the Villa seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. She knows her sisters are going to scream at the telly when this airs. Camilo is so </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If only she’d be there to squeal and gawk with them, but what could be better than actually living the dream?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She allows herself to smile, “You know… I might not give you another kiss, but how about a hug?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take anything you’re willing to give me,” he chuckles, settling down his mug before wrapping her in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What the hell is she thinking?</span>
  </em>
  <span> The hug is almost worse than the idea of kissing him. Camilo’s tall and muscular. The homely scent of coffee, cherries, and cinnamon engulfed her as the touch of his skin takes her to cloud nine. She feels the warmth of his strong hands on her waist as he wraps her in his arms. Though it’s definitely too soon to feel this comfortable with him, she can’t help but sense her heart hammering against her chest and somehow she feels completely at home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn has to remind herself that she doesn’t know enough about Camilo  to be so comfortable in his arms. She needs to get to know him more. She knows that he’s interested but that’s all. She can’t go putting all of her eggs in one basket so soon. She likes him and their chemistry is off the charts, but there are more guys in the Villa that she needs to get to know; guys like Nicky and Seb. And honestly, the fact that she likes him so much scares her away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’ll see you later,” she says, stepping away from his arms as she breaks free from their embrace, “I’m going to change for tonight!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? You’re leaving me already?” He calls after her as she grabs her tea and rushes away. Camilo looks slightly flustered and confused as she walks towards the entrance to the Villa.</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep! Sorry, gotta blast,” she shoots him a grin over her shoulder, careful not to be drawn back by the look on his face. She has other boys to chat with and if she stays any longer, she'll want to stay with Camilo the entire evening. </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <strong>Part IV - A Chat with Nicky</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey Elladine,” Nicky approaches the girls with a smile before taking a seat next to her. The girls are gathered around the firepit, discussing their various careers and lives outside of the villa. They’re surrounding Robyn, who he’s sure they’re purposely hogging all day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Minutes ago, she was chatting with Harry until Miki stole her away for more ‘girl talk.’ If Nicky had as much ‘girl talk’ as she did today, he’d probably be sick. Personally, he hadn’t received the chance to speak with her one-on-one all day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Genvieve, Iona, Miki, AJ,” he nods towards each of them in greeting before turning his attention to Robyn, “New Girl Robyn…” He playfully winks at her, causing a shy smile to spread across her face, “How are we doing tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we’re doing great!” Elladine replies with a smile, “Robyn is literally so cool. You know she works at a nonprofit that works to help...?” Elladine pauses, looking to Robyn for guidance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I work kind of behind the scenes,” Robyn quietly mentions, “I worked in HR in the fashion industry for a while. But I decided I wanted to help people so I switched industries. So now I work for an organization that helps single-parents; people who have left abusive relationships, or who are just down on their luck find decent jobs and pursue any educational goals. It’s really good work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Isn’t that just amazing?” Elladine says, “She’s so badass.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a badass? Are you kidding me? You’re a glassblower!,” Robyn replies, looking at Elladine like she’s grown a third eye, “That is badass! That’s an incredible art form. I couldn’t even imagine doing that. That sounds like such a cool job to have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Awe, thank you!” Elladine gushes, “But it’s just so unfair that someone as pretty as you gets to be smart too. HR can be </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes, “Girl. Thank you! It can be sometimes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But isn’t that so amazing, Nicky?” Elladine turns to him with a smile before scooting closer. He casually wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her for a cuddle as she snuggles warmly into his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he replies with a smile towards Robyn’s direction, “That’s very noble of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Iona adds, sarcasm hidden in her voice  “So cool… Just like Elladine said.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The friendly air among the girls begins to turn chilly. An awkward silence forms as Iona rolls her eyes. It’s time to do what he’s come over for in the first place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Robyn. You mind if we have a chat?” Nicky quickly asks, rising to his feet before things could become even more awkward. Hopefully, Elladine would think that he was just trying to get Robyn out of an awkward situation but she looks over at him a bit surprised.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sure!” Robyn replies, obviously grateful for a reason to leave, “Where to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Roof terrace?” Nicky suggests.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After you,” Robyn smiles, gesturing for him to lead the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky takes a moment to give Elladine a reassuring smile. It seems to satisfy her as she smiles back and gives him a wave as he leads Robyn away from the group.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moments later, the two of them make their way to the cushiony seats of the balcony. The fairy lights of the Villa light up the night, casting a soft yellow glow over the roof terrace. As they make themselves comfortable, Nicky ponders quietly over what he’s about to say next.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guys have sent him on a mission to find out who Robyn will most likely choose tomorrow and they weren’t sure because she made a point to at least speak with everyone today. Unfortunately, all of those moments were cut short because the other girls seemed to intervene everytime. The guys decided to send him on this mission since it had been so hard it’s hard to catch her alone. They decided that he should be the one to chat with her after he declared that he was the sole man who was only interested in being just friends with her; which isn’t completely true. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s gorgeous, there’s no denying it. There’s something about the way she sways her hips when she walks that capture the attention of every man in the Villa. Curvy lines form a full and voluptuous figure and it takes every bit of willpower to fool himself and ignore the way she makes his heart skip a beat. He knew that she’d be trouble the moment she stepped out of that suitcase today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And now? It’s only worse as she sits across from him, chilling in a fitted silky dress. Her skin is graced with a natural dewness that glows against the soft creamy fabric. He watches intently as she runs her hands through her long locs. The light of the moon reflects from the golden rings spread throughout her hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His dark eyes follow her every move, captivated. As she crosses her legs, the dress is pulled tight by the thickness of her thighs. He can barely make out the hint of stretch marks peeking from behind the hem of her dress. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Damn</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The idea crosses his mind to throw away everything he said to the guys. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Just friends. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the reality is that he needs Elladine; he truly fancies her as she’s just as gorgeous as Robyn in her own way. Elladine is positive and open. Every joke he would say synced with their shared banter. She seems to have everything his sister said he needs in a girl. Not to mention, she has the most incredible green eyes. And he was still in awe at how lucky he felt to be the second guy chosen earlier today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Elladine could really have something and he didn’t want to throw that away just because a new girl joined the Villa. Besides, the most loyal couples always seemed to make it to the finale. Just as much as he wants love, he also wants to win the 50k. Today isn’t the day to make decisions without strategy. Surely, there will be plenty of other new girls with less competition if he and Elladine don’t work out. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Robyn’s chill nature seemed too good to be true. If today has taught him anything, it’s that drama was going to follow this girl. No matter what, simply because of her position in the Villa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” she starts quietly, “Woke up spooning a badger, huh? You must live on the edge.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky laughs, “You heard about that, huh? It was just a baby. I told the others that it must have gotten lost. It had been a really cold night, so it must have somehow got into my flat and found something warm to cuddle up to. Me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Awe, so you’re all cuddly then? Elladine is a lucky girl,” Robyn asks, her brow arches as a small smile forms over her lips. Despite the beauty that she effortlessly displayed, she seemed to be so shy one on one. He couldn’t tell if she was incredibly humble or completely unaware of her looks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been called pretty hot a couple of times in my life,” he replies with a grin, hoping to make her smile a bit wider. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only a couple of times?” Robyn says with a giggle. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Success</span>
  </em>
  <span>. If she’s going to be open with him, she needs to be comfortable as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, you got me. More like a hundred and two,” he shrugs, “What can I say? A blessing and a curse.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure,” she laughs out loud this time, “I only wish I could understand your pain.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky throws her an astonished look, “What do you mean? I’m pretty positive a girl like you gets called hot like two hundred and two times, maybe five hundred and two times a day.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes go wide and she bursts out laughing, “Oh my gosh, a day!? I wish, Nicky. I really wish. But I have no clue what you’re on about.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry. This is ridiculous,” he shakes his head, “There’s no way you don’t realize how gorgeous you are!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And in that moment, he sees the spark of hope roar to life in her eyes. Just now, Nicky realizes that they’re way off topic. She’s thinking that he took her to chat so that he could let her know that he’s interested. There’s nothing wrong with being a little flirtatious, but he needs to reel it back. No matter how much her smile soothes some unknown part of him, he doesn't want her to be disappointed when he reveals the real reason why he’s asked her for a chat. It was now or never. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s actually why I wanted to chat with you…” he begins, looking out towards the lawn. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This is going to be harder than he thought. How’s he going to shut down any romantic potential between them when it can be so easy to continue flirting with her now? Besides, he can’t shut her down just to turn around and ask who she fancies. He sighs, watching as AJ cannonballs into the pool. He struggles to find the right words as he watches Aj jump out the pool and run to the other side just to do it all again.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I bet that girl’s never been tired in her life,” Nicky interrupts before Robyn could even open her mouth to respond to his statement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he’s nervous? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Robyn thinks. She can understand why, it can be hard to admit that you like someone else when you’re already coupled up</span>
  <span>—</span>
  <span> not that Nicky really has to worry about. He is one of the two boys that she has her eye on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks out over the roof terrace to watch AJ as she runs across the lawn again with Camilo and Elladine cheering her on. That girl’s amount of energy is so unfair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish I was more like that,” she admits to him, “It’s so hard to stay active. Especially at this time of night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A sly grin crosses Nicky’s face, “Not if you’re with the right person.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She snorts as she rolls her eyes, battling a grin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He’s not wrong. </span>
  </em>
  <span>“Well, I can’t argue with that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, “Nah, but seriously. I just don’t get how some people can be so active. I’m useless without two coffees in the morning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Same here,” Robyn agrees.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A moment of silence forms between the two of them as they watch the other islanders roam about the Villa. It surprises her how comfortable she feels in this moment; a silence like this would be awkward with anyone else she’s just met. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Another point for Nicky. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She takes the chance to steal a glance from him. His dreads move ever so slightly against the summer breeze as he looks out over the balcony. The stubble highlighting the contour of his face is too long to be only a day old, but the unshaven look fits him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky really is… beautiful and she feels butterflies come to life at the pit of her stomach. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At that very moment, Nicky turns back to face her. The lights reflecting from the pool shown brightly from his soulful dark eyes, a glint of humor dancing along with them. She feels the heat in her cheeks and turns immediately in a sad attempt to hide the pink color that could easily give away her attraction towards him. She’s going to turn into a tomato if she continues to blush all the dang time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I tell you something, will you promise not to take it the wrong way?” He suddenly asks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Depends on what it is,” She nervously replies while glancing towards his direction. He watches her with curiosity. Seemingly, he’s oblivious to the fact that she has just been checking him out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You remind me of my sister,” he simply states. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The butterflies in her stomach die off immediately. What. The. Fuck. His </span>
  <em>
    <span>sister</span>
  </em>
  <span>? His </span>
  <em>
    <span>sister</span>
  </em>
  <span>? If she reminds him of his sister, there’s no way he could be attracted to her in the same way that she’s attracted to him. So much for any ideas of coupling up with Nicky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Realizing that he’s waiting for her response, she lets out a laugh when trying to mask her sudden disappointment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about me makes you think of your sister?” She asks, looking back over the balcony. She just got sister-zoned. Not simply friend-zoned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sister. Zoned</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And, there’s no coming back from that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was mainly thinking the way drama just seems to find you,” Nicky answers and she shoots him a curious look. Drama hasn’t found its way to her in two years. At the smallest hint of drama, she learned how to shut it down.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, I’m not saying it’s necessarily your fault,” he gives her a rueful smile, “I know how it can be. My sister never goes looking for drama, it just… follows her around. When things go right for her, they go big right. When they go wrong, they go big wrong. And like, I know I’ve known you for less than a day, but that’s already the vibe I’m getting around you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, no. I don’t really get into drama,” Robyn replies, shaking her head at him, “Frankly, in a normal situation, I try to stay as far from it as possible.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“For real?” he looks at her with curiosity, “Well, word to the wise, then.... With you being the new girl in the Villa, I kinda get the feeling that might just change. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a good thing. Interesting things happen to interesting people. You’re rich in personality. It’s a blessing and a curse.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ouch</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Rich in personality? Did he really have to add insult to injury?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighs before leaning on her fist while looking at him, “It sounds like you’re talking from experience. Are you a drama-attractor too?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah, mate,” he shakes his head, “It’s fun to watch other people’s, but in my own life, I keep it chill. If there’s any chance of me getting dragged into it, well…” He shrugs, “I make myself scarce. House parties, family holidays, relationships… If things get hairy, I’ll just grab my coat and bail.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now, Nicky,” she offers him a warm smile and he meets her eyes, “Have you considered maybe you should stick around sometimes? If someone’s feelings are hurt, either yours or someone else’s, you need to see it through. Especially if you care about them. If you just keep running away every time, where’s that going to leave you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” he sighs while readjusting himself on the balcony sofa, “It can make it hard to get properly close to people sometimes, y’know, romantically. I guess that’s part of the reason why I’m here in the first place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha, well we have a lot more in common then you think,” she suggests.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” he looks at her in surprise, “But you just said…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can give good advice,” she grins, “But I never said I followed it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He responds with laughter, “Wow. Okay, how about this? Let’s make a pack.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky scoots closer to her, their knees nearly touching and those damn butterflies come roaring back to life. It’s been two years since she’s been touched by a man, except for this morning with Camilo. Love Island is turning out to be a real challenge to control herself. With all the attractive men around, it makes it obvious to her that she’s touch-deprived and starving.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll hold you accountable with your partner and you’ll hold me accountable with mine,” Nicky suggests unaware of the conflict swirling in her head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really?” was all she manages to say, feeling dizzy from the enticing smell of his cologne. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! I feel like I can trust you,” he smiles, “We’re really bouncing off each other now. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Friendship, huh?” The word snaps her back into reality, “I thought this was Love Island?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, a slight redness flushing over his cheeks, “Well, friends are just as important.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn has to admit that he’s right. It’s important to make friends in the Villa, especially in her position as the only single woman. As much as she hates that Nicky can only think of her as a friend, she respects that. She’d just have to ignore how gorgeous his smile is or how easy it is to romanticize the two of them together. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Romanticizing about him will do nothing but bring her more heartache in the future. And as much as she fancies him now, she knows this won’t change the man’s mind once he’s thought of her in a certain way. She knows rejection all too well to face it again. Besides… She’s sure someone else fancies her as well. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Glancing back down towards Camilo, she watches him as he cannonballs into the pool and splashes AJ and Genevieve. The laughter of the three of them floats up into the night and it brings a smile to her lips. She can manage being just friends with Nicky without her own feelings getting in the way. And if anything, at least he’s just guided her into the right direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re right,” she turns back to face Nicky, “You can count on me. I got your back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s shake on it,” he offers her his hand, a smile dancing on his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t we pinky promise instead?” She suggests, wigging her finger at him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, “How about we just make up our own handshake?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our own handshake?” She grins, “I have to warn you, I’m not very coordinated, but it’s a done deal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A couple of twists, booty bums, and turns later, the two of them sat back laughing on the verge of tears. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, when you said you weren’t coordinated, I didn’t realize it would be that bad,” Nicky shakes his head, “How have you survived on your own for this long?”</span>
  <span><br/>
<br/>
</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, come on!” Robyn pouts her lip playfully, “I am not </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> bad.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had to stop you from almost falling over the balcony,” Nicky reminds her, crossing his arms over his chest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nuh uh!” she argues, “I wasn’t going to fall...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure you weren’t,” he rolls his eyes at her before shooting her another playful smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Without warning, Bill pokes his head through the door, “Hey you two! You’ve been up here for a while. Just thought I’d pop in to see what was going on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ugh</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Nicky instinctively rolls his eyes. Nicky should have known that they would be interrupted before he got to properly talk to her. Bill was no doubt making sure that he wasn’t taking all of Robyn’s time for himself. Nicky would bet his last dollar that Bill thought he said he wasn’t interested in her so that he could get her to himself. Which... he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>considered when they first sat down. And if he's honest, he guessed he hadn’t asked her anything about who she’s interested in yet. Mission failed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hi Bill,” Robyn scoots over to make room for him, “Come take a seat, Nicky and I were just chatting.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah?” Bill plops down between them, forcing Nicky to move further away. Nicky shoots him an annoyed glance, but Bill ignores him, “Mind if I ask what you were chatting about? You seemed to be having a lot of fun up here, I thought I’d join the party.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, Bill. The party’s over. It was invite only,” Nicky says, standing to his feet, “I better go check on Elladine and get ready for bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To anyone who hasn’t spent much time with her, they could have missed the moment when Robyn’s face falls in disappointment before covering it up with a faint smile. But, much to Nicky’s buried disappointment, he catches it and dammit, if he didn’t want to sit right back down. But, he knows that he needs to get ready for his first night with Elladine. He doesn’t want her to get the wrong impression. He’ll just have to catch up with Robyn in the morning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Okay, Nicky,” Robyn says, offering him a small smile. She’s suddenly shy again with Bill around, “Thanks for the chat. We’ll see you in a bit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, see ya, Nicky,” Bill remarks with a smirk. He waves his fingers at him, “I think Elladine was in the dressing room.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s aggravating letting Bill think that he one-upped him, but Nicky can only mask his response, “Thanks, mate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But just as he’s turning to leave, he pauses before opening the rooftop terrace door, “Hey Robyn?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm?” She replies quietly, glancing at him from her spot beside Bill.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks over his shoulder with a smile just for her, “If you ever need to talk again, just find me.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Will be updated every Sunday</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. A Proper Melt</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>“Well, can I make a suggestion?” Genevieve asks, eyes darting between the two of them.</p><p>“Of course!” Robyn says with a smile.</p><p>“Why don’t the two of you go together?” Genevieve says, “I know you had a chat on the roof terrace last night. I wasn’t eavesdropping on you or anything! But the two of you looked like you were having a good time.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Part I - Where’s Your Head At?</strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>Robyn stifles a yawn as she struggles to force herself awake. She’s tired after her first day in the villa and hopes for a lazy lie in before everything kicks off today. But then, she begins to wonder what she’s worrying about? She technically has all the power. There’s no need to be in a rush. </p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t help that she dreamt of a world ruled by cloned banana people who only ate mayo thanks to Bill’s endless chatter after Nicky left them on the roof terrace together. </p><p> </p><p>After trying to dismiss the remembrance of last night’s chat, she happily sighs while snuggling further into the sheets of her bed. She’s thankful to have all of the cozy white sheets to herself as she finally starts to drift back off into a deep sleep. That is, until something soft hits her in the back of the head, loosening a few locs from her bedtime bun. </p><p> </p><p>She squeals and pulls the cover over her head, not bothering to open her eyes. She can hear the islanders' laughter. Someone is surely trying to wake her up, but all she wants to do is stay in bed a bit longer. And dammit, she isn’t going to give in without a fight. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, that’s it,” a familiar voice remarks when she doesn’t move any further. She can hear the shuffle of footsteps as someone comes from the other side of the room. Suddenly, her vision floods with light as the blanket is yanked from over her head. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s enough, sleepy head,” she peeks open one eye to see Nicky standing over her… Shirtless; the sight waking her up immediately. He must have discarded the grey t-shirt he wore to bed sometime during the night. His grey sweatpants hang low on his hip, revealing a glimpse of green briefs. </p><p> </p><p>There’s no point trying to go back to sleep when she catches quite the pleasant imagery. Just as she’s about to make a flirty remark, she remembers their underwhelming conversation from last night.</p><p> </p><p><em> You remind me of my sister </em>.</p><p> </p><p>But what a wonderful sight would he be if her mornings consist of this… Well, she guesses she did get to wake up to him this once.</p><p> </p><p>“Whaaat?” she replies dramatically, squinting her eyes at him as if they were still adjusting to the light, “What ya want, Nicky? What did I do to deserve this early morning torture?”</p><p> </p><p>“We were just wondering if you’re planning to wake up today or tomorrow?” Nicky says with a chuckle, plopping down at the end of her bed. She’s distracted for a moment, taken aback by his audacity to make himself comfortable on her bed.</p><p> </p><p>She goes to answer him with a smart remark, until another pillow is thrown at her head. <em> Okay, that’s enough. </em>This time, she grabs it and holds it to her chest. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn snaps her head towards the guilty party, “Who’s doing that?!”</p><p> </p><p>All of the islanders laugh and point at Genevieve who’s laid in the bed right next to hers.</p><p> </p><p>Genevieve just grins, “Sorry, hun! Nicky’s right. We’ve been waiting for you! We’ve been trying to wake you up.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn narrows her eyes playful as she lifts the pillow in preparation for a fight, “Oh, I’m awake now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mercy!” Genevieve squeals with laughter, “Please! We’re just glad you’re up now.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn considers it for a moment, keeping eye contact with Genevieve until she finally lowers the pillow. She honestly doesn’t have the energy for a pillow fight this early in the day when all she can think about is the strong need for her morning coffee. </p><p> </p><p>“Just this once, Genevieve,” she warns. Genevieve laughs and silently thanks her with a nod.</p><p> </p><p>Robyn finally takes a moment to look around the room curiously, noting that everyone has awakened yet they’re all still cozy in their beds. Well, except for Harry who looks like he had already been up for hours. And Nicky, who’s now sitting at the end of her bed.</p><p> </p><p>“Have you all been waiting for me?” She arches a brow at them with a smile at the thought, “Or were you watching me while I slept?”</p><p> </p><p>Harry peeks at her from behind Genevieve with a smile, “A little bit of both.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs, pushing the loose of locs from her face,  “Well, I hope I didn’t embarrass myself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, don’t worry,” Nicky replies casually, “You did. Finger up your nose and everything.”</p><p> </p><p>She cringes, looking at him in panic, “No way! You’re totally joking.”</p><p> </p><p>He grins at her, stroking his early morning stubble, “Am I?”</p><p> </p><p>She throws Genevieve’s pillow at his head and he falls back laughing, “I kid, I kid. Chill, Robyn.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” she narrows her eyes at him only making his grin wider, “You better be.”</p><p> </p><p>Elladine giggles, “You definitely did not, Robyn. He completely made that up. But like, when we all woke up, we didn’t want to leave you on your own up here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Camilo adds, sending a sleepy smile in her direction, “I said that we should all get into bed and spoon you.”</p><p> </p><p>The blush in her cheeks has an early start this morning as she smiles towards his direction, “Really?” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Miki surprisingly answers, “We didn’t want you to have to wake up on your own.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly,” Genevieve adds, “That would have been awful! But you don’t have to worry about that because you have us!” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, wow. Thank you so much,” Robyn says with a grateful smile. She couldn’t help the unfamiliar feeling of gratitude towards everyone in the room. It honestly shakes her to her core that they were thoughtful enough to stay in bed to keep her company. Even after she fought to stay in bed late. </p><p> </p><p>It’s knowing that she would have to shake things up by stealing one of the guys, but they didn’t seem to mind. They seem to understand that she's in a difficult position and they want her to know that she isn’t alone. </p><p> </p><p>But, something in her heart tells her to enjoy this moment to the fullest because this could be the first and the last time that they all get along this well. Emotions and feelings will begin to amplify very soon, and it’ll all start with the sound of a chimed text. </p><p> </p><p><em> Bing </em>! The ring bursts loudly from her phone, causing the islanders to immediately sit up in anticipation of the message. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh!” Robyn says in surprise, reaching for her phone, “I have a text.”</p><p> </p><p>A couple of the girls exchange nervous glances as they wait expectedly for her to read the message. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s heart begins to hammer in her chest as she reads it out loud. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Robyn, get ready for some one-on-one time! This morning, you’ll be able to choose two boys to take for brunch. Time to get your morning graft on! #choosewisely #comedatewithme </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my gosh!” Genevieve reaches across from her bed and squeezes her hand enthusiastically, “That’s so exciting for you! Who are you going to choose?”</p><p> </p><p>The producers seem to waste no time when it comes to starting drama but Robyn can’t help feeling an overflow of excitement as she steals a glance towards Camilo. She finds a sly smile on his face when her eyes meet his, instantly sending a winky at her. </p><p> </p><p>“I… I don’t know,” she answers, turning back to Genevieve. </p><p> </p><p>She wants to ignore the anticipation coming from her belly. Even though the idea of going on a date with Camilo feels invigorating, she doesn’t want to let any of them know how eager she truly feels. And knowing Iona, this could be upsetting for her if she knew. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn hates that she’s going to hurt another person with her decision. In addition, she honestly doesn’t know who else to choose for her second date since Nicky is technically off the table.</p><p> </p><p>“I have about 15 minutes to decide,” Robyn tells the islanders as she bites her lip, “Gah. I need to think about this.”</p><p> </p><p>“We can talk it out while I make breakfast for Elladine if you want,” Nicky suggests, laying out on his stomach. He stretches out across her bed and she internally rolls her eyes at him. Who gave this boy the right to flaunt his beauty body all over her sheets? Curse him for putting her in the friendzone, but she’ll have to suffer through it. </p><p> </p><p>“Well…” Robyn considers his generous suggestion, she looks over at Elladine who simply smiles and seems to be fine with Nicky’s offer. Afterall, Nicky’s plan is to fix <em> her </em>breakfast. It’s not like he would do that and then propose that Robyn take him on one of her dates. </p><p> </p><p>“You can say no,” he offers, resting his chin on his arm as he patiently waits for her answer, “You won’t hurt my feelings.” </p><p> </p><p>She begins to ponder: why is it so hard to just yes? Robyn needs someone to talk to and Nicky’s a lovely person. But the idea of opening up to <em>anyone, </em>even as a friend, still scares the shit out of her. The damage done to her heart by those from her past left ugly scars that still roar to life whenever it’s time to make new friends. </p><p> </p><p>She wants to keep her cards close to her chest but she yearns for the connections that come with a close friendship. And the fact that Nicky isn’t pressuring her to open up brought her enough comfort to say yes.</p><p> </p><p>“You know what?” Robyn finally replies with a smile, “That would be great.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cool,” Nicky says with a smile, quickly pushing himself up from the bed, “Let’s go, I’ve been starving waiting on you.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs as she crawls out of bed, “Hey, no one said you had to stay in here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Actually,” Nicky says, looking past her towards Genevieve, “They did.” </p><p> </p><p>Genevieve giggles and waves them off as the two of them make their way out of the bedroom and down the staircase of the Villa.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, if you were hungry enough you could’ve grabbed a snack and brought it back,” Robyn suggests, suppressing the urge to laugh as Nicky shoots her a straight-face. </p><p> </p><p>“Careful now,” Nicky shakes his head and grins, “Before I send you back up and let the girls help you decide instead.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s eyes widen in mocked panic, “Please don’t, Nicky! You know all of them are just going to tell me not go for their guy. You’ll be honest with me.” </p><p> </p><p>“Remember that next time you want to get smart with me,” Nicky bumps her shoulder playfully, making her laugh as they make their way into the kitchen. Robyn takes a seat at the bar as Nicky makes his way towards the coffee station.</p><p> </p><p>“You want a brew?” He asks, standing with his back facing her, “I remember last night you said you needed your coffee in the mornings too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Robyn smiles, surprised he remembers, “Yeah, I’d love one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sugar?” He asks, reaching for the container. </p><p> </p><p>“Just a little,” she responds. </p><p> </p><p>“You sure you don’t want a lot?,” Nicky says, glancing at her over his shoulder with a grin, “Might sweeten you up a bit for your dates.”</p><p> </p><p>She narrows her eyes at him, “You’re saying I’m not sweet enough?”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckles, “I was just making a suggestion.” </p><p> </p><p>She rolls her eyes at him. He laughs as he turns around to set to work. She watches him move quietly, enjoying the view of his muscular back as he fixes their coffee. </p><p> </p><p>Nicky is well built with a long torso. His body has the sculpted flair of a Greek statue while his movements are smooth and fluid. As her eyes trace down his body, she even notices he has two dimples on his lower back and those damn sweatpants did everything for his ass.</p><p> </p><p>He’s disgustingly good-looking and Robyn knows she shouldn’t be looking at him like this, even if he’s gorgeous eye candy. So, she averts her eyes by looking towards the lawn instead. </p><p> </p><p>She watches as the sun rises into the early morning sky, stretching on the shadows on the lawn. The green hills in the distance flourish in light of a new day. The truth is that she’s unsure of how to start their conversation but she doesn’t really need to worry about that. Nicky isn’t one who would be at a loss for words. </p><p> </p><p>As Nicky sits her brew down in front of her, he asks, “So tell me what’s on your mind, Robyn? Which lucky guy has caught your eye?” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn squirms in her seat uncomfortably, her mind still wandering off into the distance sky, “I… I don’t know.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky pauses, taking a sip of his own coffee as he looks up at her suspiciously, “Is there a reason why I don’t believe you right now?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn blushes uncontrollably, slightly embarrassed he can see straight through her, “No…”</p><p> </p><p>He just chuckles and shakes his head, “Sure. Well, let me rephrase that, who’s the first person that pops into your mind?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well...” she considers for a moment, running through the brief interactions of the past day and this morning. When she got the text, the first person she looked up to was Camilo. She knows deep down that she wanted to gauge his reaction. </p><p> </p><p>She hoped that he could have been just as excited as she felt at the idea of the two of them getting time alone without any interruption from the others. The way he winked at her gave her some of the confirmation that she needed. The brunch date would be the perfect opportunity for her to get more time with him and this will help solidify her decision tonight. </p><p> </p><p>However, a piece of her still hopes for a chance with Nicky but she couldn’t possibly tell him that now. Besides it was obvious how he feels about her and she respects his boundaries. She doesn’t want to ruin any chance of having a great friendship with him. He’ll obviously be there when she needs him. </p><p> </p><p>So, there is no way she could choose him for her second date and she doesn’t want to stand in the way of anything he’s developing with Elladine. But how’s she going to decide who to take on the second date? She needs to take it one question at a time; at least she could answer Nicky’s first question honestly now.  </p><p> </p><p>So Robyn sips her coffee nervously before answering, “Honestly? Camilo.” </p><p> </p><p>Nicky nods to himself as if he expected her answer. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s great,” he says, “I think that he really likes you. Yesterday he was talking about you nonstop.” </p><p> </p><p>“Wait. Really?” Robyn instantly perks up, the indecisiveness she feels melts away at the idea of getting insider information about Camilo.</p><p> </p><p>Nicky grins at her, picking up on the change in her mood, “I mean all of the guys were. But Camilo might have said something along the lines of thinking that you’re the fittest girl here. I honestly think he hopes that you’ll choose him tonight. I mean,” Nicky grimaces, “Iona really likes him too, but you shouldn’t let that stop you.” </p><p> </p><p>“You know I could tell,” Robyn says, letting out a deep breath before dragging her hands over her face, “It’s already been obvious that Iona doesn’t really like me.”  </p><p> </p><p>“There’s always going to be at least one,” Nicky replies encouragingly, “But look, we agreed last night that we wouldn’t run from our partners, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyns nods before biting her lip, “But Camilo isn’t my partner…”</p><p> </p><p>“But do you want him to be?” Nicky asks, arching a brow at her.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know for sure,” Robyn says, furrowing her brows together. She looks into her coffee as if it held all the answers to her uncertainty, “I like him a lot and I’d like to get to know him better…”</p><p> </p><p>“Then this is the time for you to be selfish,” Nicky shrugs, “Go with your gut. You like him, he likes you. No need to overcomplicate it.” </p><p> </p><p>“But Iona…?” Robyn reminds him, distracting herself with the mug in her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly, Iona probably isn’t going to give him up without a fight, but you can deal with that later,” Nicky suggests, “I don’t doubt that you have some kickass under that shy exterior.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs, looking up at him doubtfully, “I don’t know where you’re getting that from.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve got a little sass on you,” Nicky smirks at her, “You try to hide it, but I’ve been picking up on it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hah,” Robyn replies and shakes her head in denial, “You were wrong last night and you’re wrong this morning.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, right,” Nicky rolls his eyes, “You doubt my skills, but I sniffed out you and Camilo even before you did.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn looks at him in shock, “You’re just saying that now because I said I like him!”</p><p> </p><p>“Believe what you want, Robyn,” Nicky replies with a chuckle, “I’m just trying to help.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn rolls her eyes, crossing arms over her chest in a playful pout, but she doesn’t respond. Nicky laughs, knowing he’s closer to the truth regardless of whether or not she accepts it.. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” he says, nudging her arm, “How about helping me figure out what to fix for Elladine?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” Robyn responds, moving to hold her mug to her lips with a smile, “But only because you put a little extra sugar in this cup.”</p><p> </p><p>He grins, “I knew I did the right thing. I’ll remember that for next time I need something from you.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not going to work everytime,” Robyn laughs, “Just thought I’d go ahead and let you know now.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll see about that,” He says as he sets his mug down and heads towards the cabins. He opens them wide as he stands back to look inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Elladine said that she didn’t want anything heavy. I don’t always eat breakfast though so I actually don’t know what to fix her,” Nicky says as his eyes room the contents inside, “What do you think?”</p><p> </p><p>“You could fix her some yogurt… Add some fruit to it. I saw some in the fridge when I was looking for lunch yesterday,” Robyn suggests.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah, you’re a smart one, Robyn,” Nicky goes ahead and pulls out something else from the cabin, “But I think I’ll add some of this. You know some granola will fancy it up. I’m trying to impress her just a little bit.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn smiles, “That sounds perfect to me.” </p><p> </p><p>“Come on, let’s figure out who’s the lucky guy for date number two,” he says as he sets to work, pulling the yogurt and some strawberries from the fridge and sitting them on the counter. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn considers for a moment. There’s still Bill, Seb and Harry; she wouldn’t mind learning more about each of them, even though she could see Bill getting on her nerves eventually but she's willing to give him a shot.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you want to go down the list? It might be better if you talk out loud about what’s going on in your head,” Nicky suggests, sensing her internal dilemma.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah...” Robyn says with a glance in his direction, “What do you think actually? I’d love to hear it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why not take Seb?” he offers as he begins to chop up the strawberries, “I don’t think him and AJ are really vibing with each other now. It's a good way to get to know one of the guys without upsetting one of the girls. He’s a safe option.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn tilts her head from side to side as she thinks, “I don’t know, Nicky. Seb seems really authentic which I admire, but he kind of has an air of sadness around him.”</p><p> </p><p>“You could be exactly what he needs!” Nicky suggests, “You’re sweet and optimistic.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn shrugs, “Am I? I still don’t know... That’s not really my style. Plus, I have enough sadness in my life. If anything, I need a happy outgoing bubbly person in my life to even things out.” </p><p> </p><p>“So… Take AJ instead,” Nicky offers.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Robyn says in surprise, “I didn’t even think about AJ. The text said two boys, but they can’t really stop me from inviting her if I want to.” </p><p> </p><p>“So she’s a possibility then?” Nicky asks with a smile. </p><p> </p><p>“Um,” Robyn says, feeling a bit unsure of herself, “I don’t know? She’s super cute, but I don’t think.. I’m bi?”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t think?” Nicky looks at her curiously, moving to the sink to wash the sticky remnants of strawberries from his hands.</p><p> </p><p>She shrugs, “Anything is possible. I’ve never dated a girl before, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, if none of the other guys interest you, then maybe you should take AJ instead,” Nicky offers.</p><p> </p><p>“I could, but I don’t want AJ to just be some type of experiment for me,” Robyn responds, “If I take her on a date, I want to be sure I’m interested in her. I don’t want to lead her on. The idea hadn’t crossed my mind until you suggested it. I think maybe I'll need more time to think about that.” </p><p> </p><p>Nicky nods, “I understand that… How about Bill?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn scrunches up her nose at the idea without thought, making Nicky laugh out loud, “Okayyyy… Nevermind then. I just thought since the two of you had a little chat on the roof terrace last night that he might be an option.” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s not that bad! I promise,” Robyn says quickly, cursing herself for making a face, “It’s just that I don’t think I can date a man who is so obsessed with mayo and bananas and biscuits. He also said he likes to have arguments for fun and well…”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not your style,” Nicky finishes her sentence for her and she nods, looking at him apologetically. </p><p> </p><p>Just at that moment, Genevieve steps into the kitchen, a polite smile on her face. </p><p> </p><p>“Hi babes, sorry! I hope I’m not interrupting. I just really wanted to grab a snack while we were waiting,” Genevieve says.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, not at all!” Robyn says automatically, “You’ve all waited on me enough this morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have to agree,” Nicky says jokingly, coming to sit down beside her now that he’s finished Elladine’s breakfast.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, hush, you,” Robyn nudges him in the side. </p><p> </p><p>“Ouch,” Nicky says, rubbing his side as if her playful nudge actually hurt. He shoots her a dangerous look, “Don’t start something you can’t finish.”</p><p> </p><p>The look on his face actually entices her to push him further, curious to see what he would do but she only manages to stick her tongue out at him like a child, not wanting to end up in a compromising position. </p><p> </p><p>Genevieve laughs, “Oh my gosh! You two are hilarious,” she grins at them, “It’s no problem though. Really.”</p><p> </p><p>Genevieve walks over to the fridge, peering inside as she asks, “So have you figured out who you’re going to take on your dates?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn glances at Nicky nervously, unsure of how to answer Genevieve. She really likes Genevieve so far, but she’s unsure of how much she can trust her; her appearance in the kitchen seems a bit too convenient. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, we have the first date covered,” Nicky responds for her, seemingly understanding her lack of a response, “But Robyn can’t figure out who she wants to take for the second date. </p><p> </p><p>“You know what?” he looks at Robyn with a knowing smile that makes her suddenly uneasy, “We could actually use another girl’s opinion. Do you mind helping?” </p><p> </p><p>Genevieve turns around from the fridge excitingly, “Oh! I’d love to help, hun.”</p><p> </p><p>Genevieve comes and joins them at the bar, leaning over from the other side, “But first, who’s the lucky guy for the first date?”</p><p> </p><p>“Camilo,” Robyn admits with a blush, looking back into the coffee in her hands. She likes the idea of getting help from Genevieve, but she’s nervous once again. She isn’t sure how close Genevieve is to Iona and she didn’t want her to tell the other girls anything to start drama. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s great,” Genevieve says with a bright smile, “I think that the two of you would be so cute together.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn looks up at her in surprise, “Wait, you really think so?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” Genevieve laughs, “Like I could totally see the two of you working out. I think you really compliment each other.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn looks over at Nicky with a delighted sparkle in her eyes and he replies with a grin, knowing that she just took a step out of her bubble. He knows that she’s having a hard time making friends with girls after talking to Elladine about it last night. </p><p> </p><p>Apparently, the girls did more talking than Robyn did yesterday. Her quiet nature made the girls unsure if she wanted to be friends with them or not but Nicky concludes that Robyn was probably nervous around them because she was the new girl. </p><p> </p><p>Her position is unique and how could she possibly know who to trust on day one? She just needed a gentle push in the right direction from someone she was already comfortable with. He figured he already had his foot in the door after chatting with her one on one last night and so he agreed with Elladine that he could probably help. </p><p> </p><p>“So Camilo is definitely going to be brunch date number one,” Robyn continues, a bright smile adorning her face. It makes Nicky’s heart skip a beat and he has to remind himself that he’s here to help her pick out a date with someone who definitely couldn’t be him. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s just I’m not sure who to take for the second one. All of the boys are so lovely,” Robyn continues.</p><p> </p><p>“Girl, I know!” Genevieve squeals, making Nicky roll his eyes but admittedly, watching the two girls click right now soften his heart. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Robyn bites her lip, “You said you think Camilo and I compliment each other. Anyone else like that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, can I make a suggestion?” Genevieve asks, eyes darting between the two of them.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course!” Robyn says with a smile, but Nicky has an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach about what Genevieve says next. He can’t help but wonder if this is about to backfire on him?</p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t the two of you go together?” Genevieve says, “I know you had a chat on the roof terrace last night. I wasn’t eavesdropping on you or anything! But the two of you looked like you were having a good time.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky lets out a laugh that’s a bit too loud as denial shoots up like an invisible wall around his heart, “What? No, no, no. We’re just friends. It’s just easy for us to vibe with each other. Isn’t that right, Robyn?”</p><p> </p><p>He needs to hear the confirmation from her lips. The words he just spoke weren’t enough to cover up the way he likes to make her smile or the craving to be near her first thing in the morning despite waking up next to a beautiful woman like Elladine.</p><p> </p><p>Robyn lets out a nervous giggle, avoiding eye contact with either of them, “Yeah… We’re just friends. We kind of established last night that we don't see each other like that.”</p><p> </p><p>And that’s exactly what he needs to hear to push back any fantasy of being more than what they were already destined to be. <em> Just friends </em>. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry,” Genevieve’s face flusters in a red blush, “I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nah, you’re good,” Nicky says with another chuckle, his denial affirmed. He squeezes Robyn’s shoulder, a small gesture to let her know Genevieve’s statement didn’t change the level of comfort between them. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn meets his eyes with a small smile, unknowingly to him, swallowing back the feeling of rejection that’s brought to the surface once more. Neither one of them are willing to admit to the flicker of attraction between them, but they’re unwilling to ignore the level of closeness that they’ve experienced already. </p><p> </p><p>“Whew,” Genevieve wipes away imaginary sweat from her forehead, “That could have been worse… But how about this? If you aren’t really keen on anyone else, why don’t you just ask Harry?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Robyn looks at Genevieve utterly confused, “You want me to take Harry on my date?”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky looks surprised as well as Genevieve simply shrugs, “Harry is super cute, don’t get me wrong. And proper funny… So the two of you will have a great time!”</p><p> </p><p>She sighs before she continues, “It’s just honestly I’m not sure about him. Maybe it’s because he’s younger? I know it’s only been a night, so I don’t really mind if the two of you go on a date. Early days and all. Plus, I thought that maybe you’d feel more comfortable knowing that I’m cool with it. I know you don’t want to upset anyone if you don’t have to.” </p><p> </p><p>“Genevieve!” Robyn can’t help herself as she leans across the bar and embraces Genevieve in a tight hug, “That means the world to me! You literally just offered the perfect solution.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky automatically reaches out to steady Robyn as she balances on the stool, his hand resting on her lower back. If last night taught him anything about her, the girl wasn’t as graceful as she first appeared.</p><p> </p><p>“And maybe I can do a little investigation for you?” Robyn wiggles her eyebrows at Genevieve as she sits back, making Nicky and her laugh, “I can try to see where Harry’s head is at with you two.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’d appreciate that so much!” Genevieve squeals. The two girls wrap each other in another hug and laugh, Nicky quietly steading Robyn once again. </p><p> </p><p>Nicky shakes his head, “What about me? I think I deserve some credit here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Awe, you’re jealous?” Robyn says with a laugh, “You can get a hug too.” </p><p> </p><p>She waves for Genevieve to come around and the two girls wrap their arms around Nicky.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, alright,” he says, wrapping his arms around the two girls, fitting snugly between them, “Now you’re making me feel like a proper melt.” </p><p> </p><p>The three of them laugh before pulling away from each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, to both of you,” Robyn says with a huge smile, feeling warm and fuzzy inside.</p><p> </p><p>“No problem,” Nicky says with a smile. He wraps his arm around her shoulder and gives her another squeeze before going back to tend to Elladine’s breakfast, “I told you, if you ever need to talk just come find me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you can definitely talk to me too,” Genevieve adds with a smile, snagging an apple from the nearby fruit basket.</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” Robyn breathes a sigh of relief, taking her coffee back into her hands, “I’m so glad that you both let me talk to you about this. Honestly, I was so nervous that none of you were going to like me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?!” Genevieve says in shock, “No way! You can’t help it if you’re the new girl. I know it’s hard figuring out who your friends are and all but I can already tell that we click so well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you’re cool, Robyn,” Nicky says as he grabs a spoon from the drawer before shooting a smile in her direction. He was getting ready to head back up to the bedroom with Elladine. </p><p> </p><p>“We’ll definitely have to talk when I get back,” Robyn tells them with a smile as they both nod in agreement.</p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s phone beeps, letting her know that her fifthteen minutes were up. It takes no time to let them know who she’s taking as her dates. She grins at Genevieve and Nicky as she hits send on the message to the producers. They’re going to notify Camilo and Harry for her while she gets ready. </p><p> </p><p>“Now,” Genevieve says, meeting Robyn’s eyes, “The real question, what are you going to wear?!”</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u"> <strong>Part II - A Date with Destiny </strong> </span>
</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly, I think I would be fuming if she picks you,” Iona says, causally coming to lean against the bathroom counter. She’s fresh out the shower with a fluffy white towel wrapped around her body, steam still rising from the heat of her skin. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo attempts to avert his gaze but his eyes are constantly being drawn back to the smooth flesh of her cleavage, purposely pushed together by the tightness of the towel over her bosom. </p><p> </p><p>He tries to focus on his image in the mirror instead, vigorously brushing his teeth as Iona pulls herself up onto the counter, her long legs dangling over the edge. </p><p> </p><p>They’re talking about Robyn’s arrival in the villa yesterday while preparing themselves for the day. The conversation is mostly Iona complaining about Robyn being the first girl to take the boys on a date. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo fights to appear interested but he’s more wrapped in the idea that Nicky can easily pull Robyn away for a chat. Quite honestly, it makes him a bit jealous to know that Nicky’s able to talk to her more than any of the other guys and now she’s confiding in him again this morning. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo’s  unable to fight the desire to be in his place and knowing he has no right to feel possessive over Robyn’s time, he still can’t help it. He knows Nicky has claimed about seeing Robyn as a friend, but even he has eyes; the little shorts Robyn wears for bed does nothing to soothe his mind. </p><p> </p><p>It’s not that Camilo doesn’t trust Nicky, he just wants to spend time with Robyn as well. If he remains truthful to himself, he’d be gutted if she doesn’t pick him for one of her brunch dates. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s just that I really like you already,” Iona continues, “I know it’s early days and all, but you’re the only man who’s caught my eye.</p><p> </p><p>Camilo glances in her direction, a smile struggling to form around his toothbrush, “Ish tha soh?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Iona giggles, running a finger up his arm, “Say that again, handsome.” Iona seems pleased as she watches the goosebumps on his skin rise from her touch. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo chuckles before splitting out his toothpaste and rinsing his mouth out, “I said, is that so?” </p><p> </p><p>She nods, “It is. You’re tall, you’re sexy, you can cook. The full package if you ask me.”</p><p> </p><p>He winks at her with a grin, “I try.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Iona says, letting her hand rest on his arm, “But you still didn’t say anything about Robyn.”</p><p> </p><p>He should have seen that coming; Camilo rubs the back of his neck as he considers what to say. He can’t lie to Iona and say that he’s not interested in Robyn, because he is - he definitely is. There is a very real possibility that he’ll stumble across his ideal woman. </p><p> </p><p>Don’t get him wrong; Iona is great, she’s sexy and fierce. He could appreciate that she’s unashamed to say what’s on her mind no matter who’s around. Her body is banging and he could tell that the woman had a healthy... <em> appetite </em>. It’s just that Robyn is exactly his type and it’s not just because she is gorgeous. </p><p> </p><p>Something else draws him to her instantly and maybe, it's her shy nature that makes him determined to open up her heart. Not only that, but he wants to be the one to make her feel beautiful. Her self-doubt felt evident yesterday and he’s willing to climb any walls to make her believe him. Whatever she’s afraid of, he wants to protect her; he just needs her to give him a chance. </p><p> </p><p>“Look,” he takes a deep breath, attempting to find the right words to explain the thoughts swirling through his head. He isn’t sure how Iona is going to take this but he has to be honest with her.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure who Robyn is going to pick this morning but I wouldn’t be upset about it if she picks me for brunch. I told myself that if a girl that comes in that is exactly my type, I wouldn’t hold back and if I did, that means I’m not here for me. I’d like the chance to get to know her better… like you said, it’s still early days. But, just because I might go on one date, that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t like to keep getting to know you as well.” </p><p> </p><p>He meets Iona’s crystal blue eyes as they turn icy. His obvious preference for Robyn hides in the deliverance of his words, but in the same breath, he reveals an unwillingness to be straight about any chances between him and Iona. She’s aware of this, unfamiliar with the idea of being considered second best. </p><p> </p><p>She drops her hand from his arm and notices how he tenses, fully prepared for her to pop off. In a normal situation, she might’ve given him a piece of her mind now but this isn’t a normal situation. </p><p> </p><p>This is Love Island, after all and just as he’s unwilling to cut off their chances, she is unwilling to simply stand aside and let this man leave her to her own dismay. Besides, she’s well aware of her own assets. Why should she be afraid of a little competition from a woman like Robyn? The girl barely spoke a word yesterday. </p><p> </p><p>Once a moment passes, Iona lets her shoulders drop and she simply lets out a deep sigh. </p><p> </p><p>“I guess I can’t be mad at you for that,” Iona says, clearly biting her tongue, “It is still early days. I’d rather you get to know her now so you realize you’re still better off with me.” As she finishes her statement, she winks at him. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo chuckles, “That’s what you think is going to happen?” It’s doubtful, but he’s willing to play along for now.</p><p> </p><p>“I know it will,” Iona replies, running her hand through her wet hair with a smile, glancing towards their reflections in the mirror, “I mean, look at me and look at you. We’re so hot together.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t disagree with that,” Camilo laughs and the tension between the two of them slowly melts away. </p><p> </p><p>He’s surprised by Iona’s reaction, thinking she was going to be angry with him by the look in her eyes but she didn’t snap at him for being honest. It makes it easier for him to chat openly with her as they continue getting ready for what was in store. </p><p> </p><p>However, ten minutes later Camilo’s in the bedroom with the rest of the guys when his phone notifies him of a text. The guys stop talking mid-sentence as the beep chimes out, curiosity evident on their faces as they stop in various stages of getting dressed.</p><p> </p><p>“I got a text!” Camilo shouts, trying to stop himself from grinning ear to ear as the islanders come running over. Iona perches on the end of their bed, watching him intently knowing that Robyn made her decision. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo begins to read the text out loud, unable to control the excitement in his voice. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Camilo, Robyn has chosen you for her first brunch date. You have twenty minutes to get ready to leave the Villa. #firstpick #brunchonus</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Woo!” AJ grins at Camilo as he finishes reading the text. She gives him a high five, “Lucky you!” </p><p> </p><p>Not everyone was happy about it; Bill didn’t  hide his disappointment as he pouts, “She chose <em> you </em>?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t blame her,” Iona’s voice cut through the air, “You’re the best looking guy in here.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo just shrugs casually, “What can I say? It must be the Latino charm.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, whatever it is,” Nicky pats him on the shoulder with a grin, “You better be getting ready to leave, mate.” </p><p> </p><p>Roughly twenty minutes later, Camilo is sitting down on the beach. A colorful blanket made up of summertime hues spread out above the sand beneath him. The sound of the waves crashing nearby fills the air as the sun climbs further up into the sky. He’s surprised to find that he arrived before Robyn.</p><p> </p><p>As he waits, he notices that a skinny glass jug of mimosa is left for the two of them to share. He decides to go ahead and pour a glass in preparation for Robyn’s arrival. He needs something to distract himself from the smell of breakfast pastries and fruit hidden away in a picnic basket waiting by the edge of the blanket. </p><p> </p><p>Once the glasses are poured, he places the jug back onto the blanket, careful to keep it balanced on unstable sand.</p><p> </p><p>Where’s Robyn? He wonders briefly, wondering if he’s actually being pranked but then he catches her figure strolling down the shore of the beach. A cameraman is following her movements as she looks out towards the ocean, walking at a pace that lets him know that she’s unaware that he’s already waiting. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo swallows as she approaches, taken aback by the sight of her. It’s as if he’s watching through the camera lens and she’s moving in slow motion. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn wears a yellow bikini that emphasizes the way the sun reflects from her golden skin. A matching sheer wrap blows in the coastal breeze, blessing him with small glimpses of her curvy legs. Her heels are hanging from her hand, her feet in the cool blue water of the ocean surrounding them. </p><p> </p><p>She’s undoubtedly the most stunning woman he has ever seen. There’s no way that simple lust can describe the attraction he feels toward her. </p><p> </p><p>Eventually, the cameraman seems satisfied with what he’s captured. He directs Robyn towards Camilo, pointing to the spot where he’s now standing, hands in the pockets of his trousers as he waits. Camilo watches as her face lights up at the sight of him and he smiles. </p><p> </p><p><em> Yeah, he’d definitely do anything for her </em>. </p><p> </p><p>“Camilo!” she squeals as she makes her way towards him. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Robyn,” Camilo replies, his heart skipping a beat as she steps up and wraps him in a soft hug. The touch of her skin against his makes him melt instantly. </p><p> </p><p>“You look amazing,” the words automatically leave his lips as she pulls away from their embrace with a smile that makes him flustered, “I mean, you always do… But especially so today.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn lets out a small laugh, blushing as she pushes a stray loc behind her ear, “Thanks… You look great too.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo chuckles, feeling a bit silly tripping over his words, “Sorry, I'm rambling. I’m just really glad you wanted to see me first.” </p><p> </p><p>She smiles and bites her lip tentatively, “I was just really looking forward to spending some alone time with you. Would it be a bad thing if I said you left quite an impression on me yesterday?” </p><p> </p><p>He grins, “Not at all.” </p><p> </p><p>The two of them stand there for a moment, looking at each other like two giddy teenagers on their first date. Excited, but unsure of who would make the first move.</p><p> </p><p>“Um… Why don’t we go ahead and take a seat?” Camilo finally suggests. Laughing for no reason at all, he takes Robyn by the hand as he guides her down to sit beside him. </p><p> </p><p>“This spot is proper swanky, isn’t it?” He says as he hands her one of the glasses of mimosa. As she takes the glass from his hand, the light brush of their fingers sends a thrill through his body. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo knows he needs to play full advantage of this date. It was going to be the defining factor in Robyn’s choice this evening and he wants to play his cards right. He can’t scare her off too soon. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo takes a moment to compose himself, gesturing out to the ocean and beautiful scenery, “I’ve been on a beach picnic, but nothing like this. It’s beautiful.” </p><p> </p><p>“Definitely,” Robyn says, looking out towards the waves crashing onto the beach, “I’ve never been on a date this fancy. Especially for brunch.”</p><p> </p><p>“Speaking of which,” Camilo adds as he pulls the picnic basket towards them, “What would you like? I know you must be hungry. I know I am.”<br/><br/></p><p>Robyn laughs, “Would you believe it if I said I was so nervous that I completely forgot about the food?”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s to be nervous of?” Camilo asks curiously, pulling out a covered plate of croissants, “I can’t believe a beautiful girl like you has anything to be nervous about. If anyone should be nervous, it’s me.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughs again, plunking a croissant from the plate as he offers it to her, “You’d be surprised… This is the first date I’ve gone on in two years.” </p><p> </p><p>Camilo looks at her in surprise, exactly how she predicted, “Two years?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn blushes, nodding as she chews on the buttery croissant. </p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Camilo asks, “I mean you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’m just curious. You seem like the type of woman I’d want to sweep up and take back home to meet my mom.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn scrunches up her nose and giggles, “To meet your mom, huh?”</p><p> </p><p><em> So much for not scaring her off. </em> Camilo manages to chuckle, “Sorry, was that too soon?” </p><p> </p><p>She grins, “No, not at all.” </p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have to lie,” Camilo says, “I told myself that I was going to play it cool, but I guess that isn’t really working out for me.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs, “No, not really. But I’d rather you not. I prefer authenticity.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, you got it,” Camilo grins, “I couldn’t fake it if I tried.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn giggles as she concerns herself with pulling apart the croissant in her hand, taking a moment to consider what to tell him, “Well, I kind of... got caught up in my career, you know? I actually switched careers two years ago so I’ve been trying really hard to catch up. I went from a corporate blueprint to a charity blueprint. And I’ve been trying to get used to the differences.”  </p><p> </p><p>“Ahh,” Camilo considers, nodding his head in understanding, “It must be proper hard, trying to balance a social life with your career. What exactly is it that you do again?”</p><p> </p><p>“I worked in the retail industry for a while,” she brings her glass to her lips and takes a small sip, “But I did all the boring HR work. I originally wanted to actually <em> do </em> fashion. Like design clothes, run a blog, be a model, but my parents pushed me to do a more ‘practical’ career,” she does air-quotations around the word.</p><p> </p><p>“But I still found my way into the industry... I guess,” Robyn shrugs her shoulders, “I just took the back door instead. I spent about two years in New York working for a big company, got another degree and all. But um…” She hesitates looking uncertain as to how she wants to continue. </p><p> </p><p>“I decided to move back to London…” she finally answers timidly, looking down at the glass in her hand. Her sudden withdrawal is evident. Despite her quiet exterior, she seems unable to keep her emotions from showing on her sleeve. Camilo’s unsure of what causes the melancholy in the air around her. Did something happen bad in New York that made her want to move back to the UK?</p><p> </p><p>He goes to speak to let her know she didn’t have to talk about it, but she cuts him off to finish her sentence, “I moved to London to switch to charity work. I guess I just wasn’t feeling fulfilled back in New York,” she shrugs.</p><p> </p><p>She finally glances back up at him with a smile, the sadness in her eyes fading away, “But I love my job now, I get to help people find their dreams and then find a practical way to achieve them. I hope I can go back to it after the show.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo has the urge to wrap her in his arms to push away whatever buried memory New York brought up. But instead, he covers his impulse with an encouraging smile, “That’s amazing. I’m glad that you found something that you love to do.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, me too,” She tilts her head at him, “What about you? What is it that you do?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing nearly as impressive as you,” Camilo answers, feeling as if he was about to underwhelm her, “I work at my family’s restaurant in Romford, Dos Hijos.”</p><p> </p><p>“Dos Hijos?” Robyn thinks for a moment. He smiles at her curiously, wondering if she knew any Spanish, “Doesn’t hijo mean son? So Two Sons?”</p><p> </p><p>“Beauty and brains,” he says with a chuckle. He takes a mental to note to test how Spanish she actually knows. “But yeah. Two Sons. My dad and my uncle opened the restaurant. Honestly, it was my grandpa who inspired them to bring Latin Cuisine to Romford. So I guess you could say they decided to name it Dos Hijos in his honor since his two sons achieved his dream.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s eyes become bright, obviously impressed, “Oh, wow. That’s amazing! It’s so hard to start and run your own business.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo nods, twirling his glass in his hand as he considers what to say next, “Yeah, so we want to keep the restaurant in the family. I’m the oldest so I feel kind of responsible for keeping it going. I have to help my dad run the shop because he’s been getting ill the past couple of years.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Robyn reaches out towards him, interlocking her fingers with his. He looks up at her in surprise to find her deep brown eyes overwhelmed with empathy, “I understand what that’s like. My mom got sick while I was in New York so I know it must be difficult for you to be away for so long.”</p><p> </p><p>He nods, squeezing her hand gently, “Yeah, I kinda miss being at home. I’m used to running things.”</p><p> </p><p>“My family really depends on me,” he continues as he runs his thumb over the top of her knuckles, her hand in his feeling like the most natural thing in the world, “We just have to do what needs to be done. For me, there wasn’t anyone else to step up after dad got sick.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know, that’s very noble of you,” Robyn replies, “I know that we don’t really think about it when we have to step up and take care of our families, but it shows how much we care.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you’re right,” he nods, a thoughtful smile pulling at his lips, “I hadn’t really thought it like that if I’m honest. Just the way it goes, innit?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Robyn nods, “You know, it is still important to take a little bit of time for yourself. If it makes you feel any better, I’m really glad you’re here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Same,” Camilo smiles, using his other hand to take her by the chin, he slowly brings her face close to his, “If I wasn’t here, I’d miss out on the opportunity to be with you.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn blushes deeply, glancing out towards the ocean. Camilo notices that she doesn’t seem to hold eye contact for long but she seems so confident and open just a moment ago. Anytime he tries to make a move, she retreats back into the little shell she tries to hide in. He wants to know why and he’s willing to work hard to bring her out of it. </p><p> </p><p>He removes his hand from hers, but falls victim to tenderly running his fingers through the locs resting over her shoulder. He watches as they fall back against her smooth brown skin before leaning away. The small gesture makes her smile. </p><p> </p><p>“So Robyn, tell me more about your family,” Camilo says, remembering their conversation from the day before. Her family seemed to be a comfortable topic for her, one that they related so heavily on. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn turns back towards him, her eyes letting him know that he just unlocked a window into her heart, “Oh, my family... Where do I start? So I have two sisters. Joselyn is right after me and our baby girl is Jordyn. She turns 18 in December,” she grins, “And then Joselyn is about 3 years younger than me, She stays with me in London while she’s doing her studies.”</p><p> </p><p>“And how old are you?” Camilo asks curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, yeah,” Robyn says, remembering she hasn’t mentioned her age, “I’m 24.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo grins, “I’m 23. I’ve never dated an older woman before. This is exciting.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn rolls her eyes and laughs, “I don’t think one year makes that big of a difference, Camilo.” </p><p> </p><p>“Don’t take this away from me,” he says with a laugh, “Let me enjoy this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” she says, scrunching up her nose, “But you got one time to call me a cougar.” </p><p> </p><p>“Understood,” he chuckles, thinking she looks adorable,  “I mean not that’s anything wrong with that. I actually kind of like it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I bet you do,” Robyn looks at him skeptically, “What if I told you I’ve never dated a guy younger than me before?”</p><p> </p><p>He grins, “I’m honored to be your first.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughs, “Good answer. You better be. Now tell me more about your family.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have two sisters too. And a younger brother,” he smiles at her, “That’s Gabriela, she’s 22 and then there’s Alejandra. She’s a year younger than Gabriela.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know what?” Camilo remembers suddenly, “Alejandra actually wants to work in fashion too, she’s slowly working her way to the top. The two of you would get along so well. I’d even show you her designs if I had my real phone on me.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn smiles, “Maybe you can show me once we’re out.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’d like that,” Camilo grins, thinking of how great it would be to show Robyn off to his family, which reminds him, “Oh, yeah. And then my brother is the youngest. He’s 19.” </p><p> </p><p>“What’s his name?” Robyn asks curiously.</p><p> </p><p>“Tom,” Camilo says simply. He chuckles at the look of surprise on Robyn’s face, “Yeah, I know. I think my parents wanted to switch it up by the time they had him.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn just shakes her head and lets out a laugh, “More power to them. So tell me, Camilo. If we were on the outside, what type of date would we be on?” </p><p> </p><p>“So if we were on the outside, we’d definitely be on a date?” He asks back, curious to see if he’s her usual type. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn rolls her eyes playfully, “If you didn’t ask me, I’d ask you. I know I’m rubbish at flirting, but I’m not afraid to go after what I want.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo arches a brow at her, “Am I what you want?” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn lets her eyes roam over his body before flickering her eyes back to meet his, “Depends on your answer.”</p><p> </p><p><em> Damn </em>. The way she’s looking at him turns him on so much. Her sudden bursts of confidence has more of an effect on him than she realized, a sweet reward for getting her comfortable enough to flirt so openly with him. </p><p> </p><p>He clears his throat, forcing himself out of the spell she’s put him under, “I’d usually take someone for a meal, and then maybe the cinema, if there’s something we both want to see. But with you? I’d have to do something out of my comfort zone. I know I’d have to step up my game to keep a woman like you by my side.” </p><p> </p><p>He hears Robyn giggle and glances back at her. </p><p> </p><p>“I like that,” she smiles, “Would you take me to your family’s restaurant or…?”</p><p> </p><p>He laughs, “No, probably not for a first date. I like exploring other restaurants, I just wouldn’t go anywhere Bill suggests.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs out loud, “Don’t tell me he’s told you about the salt, pepper, and curry?”</p><p> </p><p>“The better question is who hasn’t he told?” Camilo shakes his head, “He’s out of his mind. He tried to tell me that mayo was better than aji picante! Like, mate… It was unbelievable.”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess he just doesn’t like spicy food,” Robyn laughs with a casual shrug, “It’s not for everybody.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, let me ask you this,” Camilo says, “What’s your favorite food? Think about this now, it’s going to tell me a lot about you.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn smiles nervously, “Sheesh, pressure much.” </p><p> </p><p>She considers quietly for a moment before she looks back at him enthusiastically, “Mango pie. But not just any mango pie. My grandmomma’s mango pie with the raspberry sauce drizzled all over it! A dollop of whipped cream on top. Mm,” her eyes roll into the back of her head in pleasure at the memory, “You just can’t beat that.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo laughs, enjoying the uncensored version of Robyn that the memory brought out, “Now that sounds like a piece of art. I already know that there isn’t anything in the world that can match what your grandmomma makes.” </p><p> </p><p>“You know it,” Robyn grins at him, “What’s your favorite food?”</p><p> </p><p>“Now, that’s the question, isn’t it?” he replies, “My mom’s rice and beans.”</p><p> </p><p>She arches a brow in surprise, “Simple, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>He shrugs, “I know I have a habit of appreciating food for more than what others might think it is, but a big plate of my mom’s rice and beans hits the spot every time. Not to mention it reminds me of a time when I didn’t have to cook everything.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughs, “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I love a man who can cook.”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo grins, “Yeah? What else do you like about a man?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Robyn takes a sip of her almost forgotten mimosa, “I like a man who’s confident...”</p><p> </p><p>“Go on,” Camilo urges politely, knowing that he had that covered well. </p><p> </p><p>“I like a man who takes care of his family,” she continues.</p><p> </p><p>“Check,” he checks off an imaginary box in the air between them, making her giggle, “What else?”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess I like a man with blue eyes and broad shoulders,” she says quietly, biting her lip as she looks at him. </p><p> </p><p>“Hmm? Blue eyes, huh?” Camilo arches his brow at her suggestively, “Broad shoulders are a must?” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, definitely. Nothing less,” she shrugs, trying to play it cool. </p><p> </p><p>“Come on, Robyn. It sounds like you’re just describing me,” he grins, taking her hand back into his. He places a kiss on the sensitive skin inside her wrist. He feels her shiver, looking up to watch as she takes her juicy bottom lip back between her teeth. Her deep brown eyes watch him quietly, uncensored attraction drawing him in. </p><p> </p><p>“Robyn… I just want you to know that you’re the girl I really want,” Camilo admits, unable to hold his confession in any longer, “I don’t want to throw away my shot to tell you how much I’d like to be chosen by you today.” </p><p> </p><p>He can tell that it took her some effort to hold his gaze but she looks back at him as if she was searching for the answer to a question buried in his soul. </p><p> </p><p>“Does Iona know you feel that way?” she asks quietly, glancing at their hands together. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo squeezes her hand gently, “Yeah, of course. We had a chat about it before this date actually. I told her the truth. She’s a great girl and I’m not necessarily opposed to getting to know her. It’s just that I never expected to be in this position… I never expected to meet <em> you </em>. Right now, you’re my first choice.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn returns his squeeze, glancing back up to meet his eyes, “Camilo…”</p><p> </p><p>He watches with concern as a war seems to rage in her eyes. He doesn’t understand why it’s so difficult for her to trust him. </p><p> </p><p>But it wasn’t about trust. It was about choosing the right man for her. A piece of her heart still tugs her mind towards Nicky. But she knows he’s too far gone while the man in front of her was fully prepared to devote his time and energy to her. And he wasn’t shy about it, making her feel like the only woman in the world. </p><p> </p><p>The attraction between them was undeniable, but she needs more than that. She glances up to meet Camilo’s gaze, his blue eyes receptive and compassionate. Robyn recognizes that this man could mend her broken heart if she lets him.</p><p> </p><p>She releases a deep breath before allowing a smile to cross her face, “You know what? You’re my first choice too.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn doesn’t hesitate as she leans forward and presses her lips to his. The sparks and crackles of the fire that was contained between them yesterday is now set free. This kiss isn’t tentative or gentle, rather it’s full of passion, the act of her letting go of some secret fear. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo responds immediately, pulling her closer as he moves his lips against hers. The kiss sends electricity down his spine, an unexpected thrill. He’s left breathless as she breaks their kiss suddenly at the sound of a text. </p><p> </p><p>He can’t help but notice that Robyn hasn’t stopped smiling as she reads the message silently. Camilo was grateful for the moment to gather his senses as he’s over the moon.</p><p> </p><p>“I think our time is up, Camilo,” she looks up at him with her bashful smile. </p><p> </p><p>“Do I really have to leave?” he asks playfully.</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs, “I’m afraid so.”</p><p> </p><p>He drains his glass and smiles at her before reluctantly getting to his feet. He pulls her with him and wraps her in a quick hug. “This has been really nice, Robyn... I’ll see you later, yeah?” </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll see you at the firepit,” she grins at him. He chuckles and squeezes her to his chest, placing a sweet kiss on the top of her head. </p><p> </p><p>As she steps back, Robyn looks proud of herself. Her button nose was slightly wrinkled from the size of the smile on her face; she’s adorable. He knows it must have taken a lot of effort for her to kiss him just now. He wouldn’t have it any other way. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo let his hands run across her arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake despite the heat. </p><p> </p><p>“At the firepit it is.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Let It Ride</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Robyn laughs softly, “I won’t take disrespect from anyone in this Villa. Not from Iona, not from Miki, not even you.”</p><p>“Is that a warning?” Nicky looks over at her in surprise.</p><p>“It’s a promise,” Robyn grins and shrugs.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Part I - Trouble Maker</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Robyn twiddles her fingers nervously as she waits for the other islanders to arrive at the firepit. She takes a deep breath and runs her hands down the front of the ruby red dress she’s wearing. It’s form fitting with a deep neckline that reveals the perfect amount of cleavage. </p><p> </p><p>She hopes it impresses the boys tonight and more specially, Camilo. </p><p> </p><p>If she had to steal somebody’s man, at least she’ll look good while she’s doing it. She’s aware that there will be consequences and drama to follow, but she has to follow her heart. She tells herself that she’s well-prepared to make her decision. Nicky’s right; it’s time to be selfish and that’s what she came here for. </p><p> </p><p>But part of her knows she’ll still feel guilty tonight when she’s sharing a bed with Camilo.</p><p> </p><p>Harry and Seb are the first to exit the villa and make their way to the firepit. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Robyn,” Harry says, shooting her a smile as he approaches. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re looking good,” Seb adds as he takes his seat, “I’m sorry for the poor soul who has to sleep next to you tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs, running her hand through her ponytail of locs before flipping it over her shoulder, “Umm, thanks, I think?”</p><p> </p><p>“It was meant to be a compliment,” he quickly assures her, “I just meant I hope he has a lot of self-control.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” she blushes deeply, interlocking her fingers in front of her, “I hope he does too.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry smiles encouragingly, “Whoever he is, he’s definitely going to be a lucky guy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Woah, woah, woah,” Nicky’s voice rings out from behind her before she can thank Harry. She turns and laughs at the stunned expression on his face.</p><p> </p><p>“This,” he says, pointing up and down her body, “Should be illegal.”</p><p> </p><p>“Awe, Nicky” she says with a grin, immediately bringing him into a tight hug, “You look good tonight too.”</p><p> </p><p>He chuckles and returns her hug, “I know, I’m gorgeous, aren’t I?”</p><p> </p><p>“Let’s see,” she remarks, stepping back to get a full view of him. He does a little spin for her, making her giggle. He’s dressed in a white button down shirt, the sleeves are rolled up, revealing his muscular arms. Light blue pants hug his body in all the right places, the silver chain around his neck reflects the bright lights of the Villa. He looks perfect, except…</p><p> </p><p>“Give me this hat, Nicky,” she reaches for the fedora and snatches it off his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey!” he says, reaching up in an attempt to catch it before she takes it away but unfortunately, he’s too slow. He wonders briefly how someone so clumsy can move so fast. </p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” she says, throwing the fedora to the bench. She turns back towards him to run her fingers through his hair, “Stop covering up these gorgeous dreads. You wore that hat last night.”</p><p> </p><p>“I like my hat,” Nicky grumbles as she fluffs his dreads from where the fedora has flattened them. Nicky may appear grumpy, but he doesn’t move as she sets about fixing his hair. He actually bends down to give her easier access to the top of his head. </p><p> </p><p>“There,” she smiles and steps back once she’s satisfied, “You can tell Elladine to thank me later.” </p><p> </p><p>“How do you know she doesn’t like my hat?” Nicky asks, straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn purses her lips and arches a brow at him, “Do you really want me to tell you or…?”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky’s lips flatten into a hard line as he narrows his eyes at her, “What’s the supposed to mean?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing, nothing,” Robyn shrugs and grins at him mischievously. Elladine actually hasn’t said anything about his hat but Robyn just didn’t want him to get into the habit of wearing it every night. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re terrible, you know that?” He says, rolling his eyes playfully as he makes his way to his seat. </p><p> </p><p>“Only with you,” she gives him an innocent smile as he sits down, pulling his hat towards him. </p><p> </p><p>“Lucky me,” he says, the corners of his lips upturned in a slight smile, revealing his soft spot for the girl standing in front of him despite the sarcasm in his voice.  </p><p> </p><p>The other two boys watch their interaction intrigued, exchanging a confused expression. They haven’t seen Robyn behave so openly with anyone else. They ponder briefly if perhaps Camilo was mistaken? Could there be a chance that Robyn would actually pick Nicky tonight instead? </p><p> </p><p>They seem to get along so well but she mentioned Elladine so that wouldn’t make much sense… right?</p><p> </p><p>Soon after the four of them begin chatting among themselves, Camilo and Bill are making their way outside. Their hands are gesturing vaguely as they obviously argue over some mundane topic. Were they still arguing about sauces and condiments? </p><p> </p><p>Camilo finally just shakes his head at Bill, looking at him like a lost cause. He gives up on whatever the two of them were discussing before turning to approach Robyn with a sly grin instead.</p><p> </p><p>“Wow, chica! Look at you.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn blushes deeply as he comes to take her by hand. He pulls her closer and urges her to do little spin of her own. She indulges him with a bashful smile, twirling in a small circle.</p><p> </p><p>Camilo smiles as he takes her in, her dress emphasizing every curve of her body. </p><p> </p><p>“Whew,” Camilo fans himself dramatically as she turns back to face him, “I didn’t know it would be this hot tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you should have,” Robyn responds with a laugh, “You knew I was going to be here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Damn,” Camilo says, letting his eyes travel up her body before meeting her eyes, “I’ll come better prepared next time.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn bites her lip, fighting off a grin, the heat in her cheeks is undeniable. She loves the way Camilo is making her feel, the way he’s looking at her gives her butterflies in all the right places. And unbeknown to her, she’s setting his heart on fire in that red dress. </p><p> </p><p>“You better sit down before Iona sees you,” Bill reminds them, a fair warning in his voice. He sits down with a little pout, still annoyed not to be chosen for a date, “Robyn hasn’t coupled up with you yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mind your business, mate,” Camilo tells him with an eye roll, growing irritated with Bill as Robyn looks down at her feet, slightly embarrassed. He doesn’t want anyone to make her feel like she has to hide how they feel about each other. </p><p> </p><p>But deep down, he knows that Bill is right. They have a whole villa of people to consider and even if it’s hard for the two of them to keep their hands off each other, there isn’t  any reason to rub it in anyone’s face. </p><p> </p><p>He turns his attention back to Robyn, squeezing her hand gently as she looks up at him. He gives her a reassuring smile to which she happily returns before he takes a seat with the others. </p><p> </p><p>Soon the click of heels on the pavement is heard and the moment of truth arrives with the girls. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn greets them with a warm smile. Only Genevieve, AJ, and Elladine return it as they take their seats. Iona only glares back at her as she sits down beside Camilo, taking his hand into hers, and Miki completely avoids Robyn’s eyes.</p><p> </p><p><em> Great </em>. Robyn purses her lips as she looks straight ahead. Apparently, the whole Villa already had some idea of who she was choosing tonight. Unpleasant caterpillars replace the lovely butterflies in her stomach as she waits for the incoming text.</p><p> </p><p>It’s daunting to stand at the front of the fire pit with everyone’s eyes on her, silently waiting for the signal from the producers. The vibe in the air feels like one of those rare moments when the world is holding its breath to hear what she has to say. </p><p> </p><p>And not a moment too soon, her phone rings out. She takes one final deep breath before opening her phone and reading the message out loud.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Robyn, now that all of the islanders have arrived at the fire pit, it’s time for you to decide who to couple up with. #yoursforthetaking #dontlookback </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Iona’s grip on Camilo’s hand tightens as the last word leaves her lips. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn flickers her gaze up to Camilo and he gives her an encouraging nod but right beneath her nose, he returns Iona’s grip. Not quite as strong, but disclosing an honorable need to keep the peace. </p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Robyn starts, taking in the full view of the islanders, “I knew this was coming, but nothing really prepares you for this. I just wanted to say that I really appreciate everyone for being so welcoming to me and I really hate that I have to come in here and break up a couple. No matter who it is.” </p><p> </p><p>Iona rolls her eyes, looking at Miki as she mouths, ‘No she isn’t.’</p><p> </p><p>Robyn bites her tongue, ignoring them, “But at the end of the day, I have to make my decision. The chats that I’ve had with this boy have been amazing. And I mean, he’s confident, he’s handsome, he makes me laugh so that’s why the boy I want to couple up with is…” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn pauses for dramatic effect as instructed before letting her eyes fall on Camilo, who’s face breaks into a huge smile before she even says his name. </p><p> </p><p>“The boy I want to couple with is Camilo,” she finishes her statement with a smile, forcing herself to enjoy the moment despite Iona’s obvious displeasure. But, guilt creeps up like an old friend in the back of her mind. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo squeezes Iona’s hand one last time before standing. Iona purses her lips, looking in the other direction as he takes his new place beside Robyn. He wraps her in a quick hug in front of the others, no longer bothering to hide their displays of affection in front of the others.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks for choosing me,” he whispers, the warm of his breath tickling her ear.</p><p> </p><p>“Was there even another option?” she replies quietly, taking his hand with a smile. </p><p> </p><p>He chuckles, before shaking his head. He glances towards Iona whose attention is now turned back towards the newly formed couple. Iona’s light blue eyes are sharp as she looks Robyn up and down, crossing her arms over her chest. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s usual warm brown eyes turn to stone as her defenses automatically rise up. Iona arches her brow at Robyn when she meets her gaze, daring her to say something unnecessary. </p><p> </p><p>The tension in the air is cut deep as a text rings out from Iona’s phone. The islanders all hold their breath as she picks it up, knowing the contents of that message will determine whether or not she gets to stay in the villa. </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Iona, Robyn has taken your partner, making you the only single girl in the Villa…</b>
</p><p> </p><p>“I swear if this means I’m getting dumped,” Iona remarks, her fist clenching at her side. </p><p> </p><p><em> Bing </em>!</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>… So get ready to mingle! #heretostay #achampionrises  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god,” Iona lets out a deep breath, visually relaxing as her eyes cut up back to Robyn. </p><p> </p><p>“I hope you know I’ll be coming for him,” she remarks, a teasing smile now playing on her lips. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn huffs out a small laugh, attempting to look more confident than she felt, “Girl, I hope you do.” </p><p> </p><p>Nicky puckers his lips in surprise, glancing at Elladine as the air once again becomes thick with tension. Elladine’s eyes are wide, looking between Robyn and Iona as the girls glare at each other. The islanders begin to shift uncomfortably under the weight of their stares, unsure of what to do next. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay, okay,” Camilo says, squeezing Robyn’s hand gently, he steps up between the two girls, “There’s no need to argue. We all have to live in the villa together. Recouplings happen. That doesn’t automatically turn someone into a villain.”</p><p> </p><p>“Look who’s talking,” Iona looks at Camilo in disgust before shaking her head, “She could’ve got me dumped!”</p><p> </p><p>“But she didn’t, and I’m really happy you get to stay,” he says, earning a look of uncertainty from Robyn. Did she just make the right decision? <em> Not that she wants Iona to leave, but </em>...</p><p> </p><p>Iona stands from her seat, “That’s really nice, Camilo. But I’m not going to sit here and play nice with a woman who just stole my man from me.” </p><p> </p><p><em> Her man </em>? Robyn snaps her towards Iona in shock, ready to set the record straight. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay!” AJ stands up before Robyn can respond. She holds her hand up in an attempt to calm the air, trying to stop the conversation before things can get any worse, “That’s enough. We should all get some space and maybe you all need to talk some things over in private.”</p><p> </p><p>“Now isn’t the time,” Iona states as she stands. She stalks over to Camilo, her long legs gracing her with the confident look of a predator, “Find me when you’re done with her.” </p><p> </p><p>Iona doesn’t give Camilo the opportunity to respond before she stalks off towards the pool. Miki stands up and rushes after her, shooting Robyn a death glare as she leaves. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn watches them walk away in disbelief. The weight of Camilo’s hand in hers is the only thing keeping her grounded as unfiltered words and thoughts charge through her head. She feels like shit, but she knows she can’t allow the negative emotions to flow through her. She knows it’s better to acknowledge them rather than pretend they aren’t there. But She can work through them later. </p><p> </p><p>“You know what?” She finally says, glancing at Camilo once she feels calm enough to speak.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” he asks, biting his lip nervously. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m just glad that’s over,” Robyn rolls her shoulders back, relieving the tension that gathered there, “I thought it was going to be a lot worse.”  </p><p> </p><p>“You did?” he asks in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” she admits, biting her lip, “You said you talked to her, but…” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn glances towards Iona, she and Miki were obviously talking about her, “She’s still upset. I mean I guess I would be if I was her. Maybe I should have talked to her?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Camilo considers, “How about the two of you have a chat before dinner? Me and the guys can whip something up,” he runs his hands down her arms affectionately, “You girls have been through enough stress tonight. We can at least take care of dinner.” </p><p> </p><p>Seb looks at Camilo doubtfully, “Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Did you just volunteer us to cook?” Nicky asks with an arched brow. </p><p> </p><p>“I sure did,” Camilo grins at the guys as they look at him in dismay, “Come on, we can impress these ladies with our skills.”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe <em> your </em>skills,” Seb mumbles under his breath. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh wow!” Genevieve smiles encouragingly and pats Harry on the arms, “I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with.”</p><p> </p><p>Harry returns at her smile confidently, “Yeah, we’ll whip something up. Can’t be that hard.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Bill stands up, figuring it would be better to cook then to try and settle the drama, “We’ll let you girls work this out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah,” Elladine responds thoughtfully, “So really you’re all just taking a run for it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sounds like a good plan to me,” Nicky rises to his feet. He comes over and pats Robyn on the shoulder with a smile, “You got this, trouble-maker.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn shakes her head and laughs helplessly, “Trouble-maker? Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“Too soon?” he asks jokingly. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn holds her finger and thumb together, barely touching “Just a little bit.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll be okay,” Nicky offers her an unapologetic grin, making her roll her eyes. He’s lucky that she’s a star at controlling her emotions and keeping them contained. And maybe, <em> just maybe </em> his playful banter actually makes her feel better. </p><p> </p><p>As the other guys reluctantly get to their feet and head to the kitchen, Camilo hangs back and wraps Robyn in a comforting hug, “Let me know if you need me. I’m not running… I really just think it’d be good for you two to talk.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Robyn returns his hug, gathering the necessary strength to chat with Iona, “You’re right.”  </p><p> </p><p>He smiles at her, “Just trying to keep the peace.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” she sighs, “Just don’t let them burn down the kitchen, alright?”</p><p> </p><p>He laughs, “I’ll do my best, chica.” </p><p> </p><p>He heads towards the kitchen after pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. Robyn can’t help but smile as she watches him go, knowing that he could be worth the drama.</p><p> </p><p>But that doesn’t stop the events of recoupling from crashing over her as she takes a seat beside Genevieve.</p><p> </p><p>She presses her fingers to her temple, trying to soothe the headache that was forming, “I knew this was going to happen.”</p><p> </p><p>“Awe, hun,” Genevieve pats her arm warmly, “It’s okay.” </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, it was kind of going to happen no matter what,” AJ adds. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, AJ,” Robyn can’t help but look up at her with a flat smile.</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” AJ says sheepishly with a lopsided grin, “Kind of stating the obvious, aren’t I?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs softly, knowing it was impossible to stay annoyed at Aj with that grin on her face, “It’s fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“So what are you going to do?” Elladine asks, crossing her legs as she turns to face Robyn, “Are you going to chat with her like Camilo said?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think I should,” Robyn bites her lip tentatively, “But what am I supposed to say? I’m not sorry that I chose Camilo. I’d make the same decision again. He’s the guy I formed the strongest connection with. I just didn’t want Iona to get hurt. I honestly feel like shit having to be in that position.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, people are always going to get hurt in here,” Genevieve says, “It’s the way the game is. New people are going to come in and shake things up all the time.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, think about it like this,” Elladine suggests, “Emotions are meant to run through us, right? They’re not going to last forever. It’s just another thing to work through.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah and we can totally help,” AJ adds, sitting criss crossed on the bench as she gets comfortable. </p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, girls,” Robyn says with a nervous smile, knowing there is no way for her to keep this situation close to her chest. It’s on full display for everyone to see so no matter how badly she wants to handle it herself and she probably needs the help. </p><p> </p><p>She’s used to conflict resolution as it’s a daily part of her job, but this is different. It ‘s not simply business, rather it’s personal. Even when the islanders didn’t mean to hurt another person with their actions, there will always be consequences regarding other people’s feelings. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn has enough life experience to recognize that because she’s usually so careful to consider someone’s heart, whether it be a friend or lover. She never wants to be the reason why someone feels broken or angry at the world. She’s all too familiar with the effects that could have on a person’s outlook on life. But the problem is—</p><p> </p><p>“I haven’t had to deal with something like this before,” she says with a frown. </p><p> </p><p>“To be fair, only someone in your position could really understand,” Genevieve says, “It’s not like you chose Camilo to hurt Iona or to be petty or anything.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn nods, “Exactly! But how do I get her to understand that?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think that you should just clear the air,” Elladine suggests, “You don’t really have anything to apologize for. You had to pick someone.”</p><p> </p><p>“I agree,” Genevieve says with a nod. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh!” She grins as an idea comes to mind, “Maybe you should make her see the positive in the situation.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn and Elladine look at her skeptically, “The positive?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, look,” Genevieve scoots closer eagerly, “Sometimes being single in the Villa means that you’re in a powerful position. I mean look at you.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn tilts her head in a thoughtful nod, “Yeah…”</p><p> </p><p>“So maybe if you explain that to Iona,” Genevieve smiles, “She’ll realize that being ‘single and ready to mingle’ isn’t such a bad thing. She doesn’t have anyone to answer to… I mean we probably don’t want her flirting with our guys, but all is fair on Love Island.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Elladine nods, “We’re all just trying to find the right person for us.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn pulls her lower lip between her teeth, “Yeah, that’s true. But like it’s obvious she still wants Camilo.” </p><p> </p><p>“I think that you and Camilo are a really strong couple,” AJ says, “So even if she <em> does </em>still go for him, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.” </p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Robyn glances towards AJ, “He’s so devilishly handsome and Iona is gorgeous… She’s actually so different from me. I honestly can’t believe he prefers me now that I think about it...”</p><p> </p><p>“No way!” AJ remarks, “Camilo is so into you. And plus he seems like such a great guy. I can’t imagine that he’d try something on with both of you. I mean he has sisters himself.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Genevieve nods, “I don’t think that he’d treat you in any way he wouldn’t want someone to treat his sisters.”</p><p> </p><p>“If he did, that would be so gross,” Elladine adds, “I don’t think you’d want to be with him anyway.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn considers everything that girls are telling her. Her insecurities still try to eat at her, reminding her of her flaws and emphasizing the differences between her and Iona. </p><p> </p><p>But the girls’ encouragement puts up a worthy battle. Not to mention she remembers the way Camilo admitted that she’s his number one at brunch.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right,” she says, allowing her trust in Camilo to overrule the thought of losing him to Iona, “I mean there’s no point in speculating about what could happen. I should take it a day at a time. Right now, I just need to clear things up with Iona. I don’t want to be responsible for an awkward vibe in the Villa.” </p><p> </p><p>Genevieve nods, “That’s it, sis! We’ll be cheering you on. Like if something happens, I'll be over there in a heartbeat.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn smiles at Genevieve, but she rather not dwell on that possibility. Hopefully, it won’t come to that. She takes a deep breath before standing to her feet, “Thanks, girls. I really do appreciate it.” </p><p> </p><p>“You got it!” AJ smiles encouragingly as Robyn straightens out her dress and heads towards Iona.</p><p>
  <br/>
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</p><p>
  <strong>Part II - Love and War</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Hey girl,” Robyn says, coming to stand by the pool. Iona resists the urge to push her in as she makes eye contact with her, “Can we have a chat?” </p><p> </p><p>Iona purses her lips, considering it for a moment. She isn’t surprised to see Robyn, knowing that Camilo would probably encourage her to try and settle things between them. His need to keep things running smoothly was actually a huge turn-on for her and she knows the smartest move is to play along if she wants to get him back. </p><p> </p><p>So she gestures to the lounger beside her, “Sure, go ahead.” </p><p> </p><p>“Do you mind giving us a minute, Miki?” Robyn asks as she takes a seat. </p><p> </p><p>Miki glances to Iona for confirmation, who nods. Miki stands to her feet, the silent judgement dripping from her figure as she walks past Robyn and heads towards the others. </p><p> </p><p>Iona sits silently, curious to what Robyn plans to say. She’s barely heard her speak a word since she’s been in the Villa. But apparently that didn’t stop her from snagging Camilo and proudly displaying it like she already won his heart. </p><p> </p><p>Iona has been proposed to six times in her lifetime, men tend to fall in love with her instantly. So Camilo’s obvious enthusiasm to be picked by Robyn was like a slap to the face. She isn’t used to being on the receiving end of rejection from a man she wants. Jealousy bubbled up as her ego takes a punch every time they touched. </p><p> </p><p>And the fact that Miki was the only girl who felt the need to comfort her only rubbed it in more. Why did the girls feel the need to comfort Robyn when Iona is the one who could have been dumped tonight? All of the nervous talk and encouragement in the dressing room turned out to mean absolutely nothing. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I just wanted to clear the air with you,” Robyn lets out a deep sigh before continuing, “I wanted to come over just to say that I get it, I really do. You hate me because I took Camilo from you and —” </p><p> </p><p>“I don’t hate you,” Iona interrupts with an eye roll, tapping her nails against her knee. It is true. She is hurt and pissed, but she doesn’t <em> hate </em>Robyn. They barely know each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Am I pissed that the only guy I’m interested in was taken from me?” Iona adds, “Hell yeah, but I don’t hate you.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn bites her lip, “You sure? It sounds like you do. Like I want to be clear that I’m not dismissing the fact that you and Camilo were together,” she pauses, glancing towards the kitchen, “But I like him. I have a good connection with him. I didn’t pick him because I don’t like you. Like my choice didn’t have anything to do with you.” </p><p> </p><p>Iona chuckles at the irony, “Obviously.” </p><p> </p><p>It’s not like she could miss their fleeting touches of affection or the way Camilo kissed Robyn’s cheek before leaving her at the firepit. The two of them were already behaving more like a couple than Camilo ever did with her, and only seconds after she was pied off. </p><p> </p><p>Iona leans forward, hiding her anger under an air of smugness, “I get it, Robyn. Camilo is hot. It’s hard to keep your hands off of him. If I were in your shoes, I would have picked him too. You have to go with your heart in here. I was angry at the fire pit because I could have been in danger. Hell, I might still be in danger.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is just a bit stressful,” Iona remarks sarcastically, looking at Robyn with narrowed eyes, “Can you understand that?” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn nods her head, doing her best to appear understanding. </p><p> </p><p>“Well, look at it like this,” she responds, “You’re single and you don’t have to answer to any of the guys in here. You can do whatever you want, crack on with whoever. And who knows? They might drop some new boys in the Villa and you’ll have first crack because you’re the only single girl. I honestly think you’re in the best position here.” </p><p> </p><p>Iona considers what Robyn says, leaning back into her hands. That actually made a bit of sense. Except she had her eyes on a very particular prize. The very same prize that Robyn would be laying next to tonight. If Robyn thought that she was going to let him go easily, she has another thing coming.</p><p> </p><p>Iona lets her eyes travel up Robyn lazily, knowing the light turquoise of her eyes held piercing and intimidating gleam, “I guess you’re right. I mean you <em> would </em> know best. You were just the only single girl in here. I’m guessing that means it’s fine if I crack on with Camilo.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s lips press into a fine line, her teeth silently gritting together, “If that’s what you want.” </p><p> </p><p>“I mean it is what <em> you </em> said,” Iona remarks with a smile, unable to resist the opportunity to tease her. She arches an eyebrow at Robyn in a silent dare, no one’s here to stop a fight this time.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, all’s fair in love and war,” Robyn replies, the honey in her voice a bit too sweet, “I won’t make a fuss. Camilo is a grown man, he can make his own decisions.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, let's hope he chooses wisely,” Iona purrs, the calmness in her voice visually putting Robyn on edge, “I meant it when I said I’m coming for him.” </p><p> </p><p>“And I meant it when I said I hope you do,” Robyn snaps at her head towards Iona, a fake smile plastered on her face. Iona couldn’t help but feel pleased by her discomfort. After all, she deserved it.</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing wrong with a little friendly competition,” Iona returns her smiles sweetly. The two women hold eye contact as Iona reaches out her hand towards Robyn, “May the best woman win.” </p><p> </p><p>“May the best woman win,” Robyn repeats, taking Iona’s hand. The two girls shake, sharply mancuried nails digging into others' palms with unnecessary pressure.</p><p> </p><p>“And look,” Robyn says as she stands, keeping her gaze leveled with Iona, “We don’t have to be friends, but I want us to understand each other. I’d prefer if we could at least act cordial with each other.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s fine with me, hun,” Iona stands to her feet, adjusting the low dip of her jumpsuit, “There’s not any reason for us to be disrespectful.”<br/><br/>“I’m glad we can agree,” Robyn nods before shifting her weight on her heels, “So… the boys are cooking dinner, want to see what they mustered up?”</p><p> </p><p>“What are we waiting on?” Iona says, a more genuine smile on her lips, “I’m starving.” </p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>Part III - Who’s the Lucky One?</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“This is better than sex,” AJ moans out loud, sauce dripping from the empanada in her hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Hell,” Iona says, licking her lips, “This is sex. Like in my mouth.”</p><p> </p><p>Genevieve arches her brow from across the table, “You do realize how that sounds, right?”<br/><br/></p><p>Iona licks her finger suggestively, glancing at Camilo after she finishes off the empanada in her hand, “I know exactly how it sounds.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn frowns, looking at Camilo to see if he notices, but he didn’t. He’s focused on Bill, trying to convince him to try the empanadas. </p><p> </p><p>“You hear that, Bill?” Camilo grins at him and Robyn relaxes. </p><p> </p><p>“There’s no way they’re that good,” Bill grumbles, grabbing one from the tray Camilo brought out earlier. He takes a bites, chewing slowly. The islanders watch as his eyes go wide and he takes another hungry bite. </p><p> </p><p>He pauses with his mouth full while Camilo looks on with a smirk. </p><p> </p><p>“What?” Bill says, swallowing food in his mouth. He clears his throat in an attempt to look less eager, “I mean I guess they’re alright…” </p><p> </p><p>Camilo laughs and the other islanders join in. The drama from the recoupling earlier in the evening is forgotten as they talk about past dates and crack jokes. As the evening drifts on, the islanders enjoy good food and decent company.</p><p> </p><p>“Since you boys did all the cooking,” Miki suggests after a while, “I guess we girls can do the cleaning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure?” Camilo asks, his arm resting around Robyn’s shoulders, “I don’t mind cleaning up too.”</p><p> </p><p>“No way!” AJ says with a smile, jumping up to help Miki, “We totally got this.”</p><p> </p><p>Miki picks up Bill’s mushy pasta, looking at it in distaste, “How are your fry-ups so precise and delicious, Bill. But this? There’s no way we were going to eat this.”</p><p> </p><p>Bill rolls his eyes, his mouth full of rainbow cake. He just shrugs and takes another bite rather than responding. Apparently good food is the one thing that can keep his mouth shut. </p><p> </p><p>Miki giggles as she begins to take the pasta to the kitchen, but oddly enough as soon as she takes a step, she appears to trip and the bowl goes flying from her hands. </p><p> </p><p>“Watch out!” AJ squeals, failing to catch the bowl as it launches towards the table. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn looks up just in time for the bowl to land directly in front of her, the pasta splashing all over the front of her chest, warm goop of sauce and noodles drips down between her cleavage as she shouts in surprise. Her dress is ruined. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my gosh,” her mouth is propped open in shock. She takes a deep breath, calming herself so she doesn’t jump across the table and smack the shit out of somebody. She closes and opens her eyes, exhaling deeply before making eye contact with Miki. </p><p> </p><p>Miki has her mouth covered in shock, but it’s obvious she’s trying to suppress her laughter, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She doesn’t apologize. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no,” Harry winces, looking at the mess on Robyn’s chest, “The mushroom surprise…”</p><p> </p><p>Iona doesn’t provide Robyn with the luxury of pretending, she’s the first to burst out in laughter among the silence in the group. Some of the other islanders try to stifle their laughter, while others look on with concern, worried by the look on Robyn’s face. </p><p> </p><p>“Robyn,” Camilo says, serenity in his voice. He's the only one completely holding it together as he begins grabbing napkins off the table, “Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I’m fine,” Robyn manages to say quietly, her patience boiling over. She takes another moment to compose herself before reaching down her dress. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo stops what he’s doing, looking intrigued and slightly startled as she pulls out what’s left on the mushroom surprise. Her hand is covered in sauce and noodles, little bits of mushroom peek out from the red mess. </p><p> </p><p>And without hesitation, she throws it at Iona. Iona’s eyes go wide a moment before she ducks, the mushroom surprise missing her and landing with a smack on the side of Harry’s face. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my gosh, Harry!” Robyn squeals and jumps to her feet, “I am so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Robyn!” He grimaces and immediately begins wiping his face, sauce dripping down his chin, “What did I do to you?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn bites her lip, looking completely guilty, “I wasn’t aiming for you! I’m so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Bill joins Iona and Miki in a fit of laughter. Harry side-eyes Bill as he continues to wipe his face, his cheeks turning red. Genevieve frowns and decides to take it a step further. She silently scoops out a handful of strawberry ice cream, taking aim at Bill as he doubles over in laughter.</p><p> </p><p><em> Splat </em>! </p><p> </p><p>Bill’s laughter fades into the night as his face gets covered in ice cream. Harry and Genevieve burst out laughing. Now no one is trying to contain their laughter. </p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Bill says, nodding as he wipes the ice cream from his eyes, “That’s it. You’re all asking for it.”</p><p> </p><p>“All?” Seb says nervously, scratching his head as he looks around the group, “Like, everyone?”</p><p> </p><p>Bill grins, grabbing his cake with hands before sending it flying over the table, “FOOD FIGHT!” </p><p> </p><p>The islanders duck and scurry as ice cream, cake, and failed dishes go flying. </p><p> </p><p>AJ takes a piece of cake and mushes it in Seb’s face. Seb licks the icing from his lips before grabbing pieces of watermelon and chucking them at Aj in revenge. Nicky and Elladine team up, cheese flying between them and Harry as he fights to stay clean.</p><p> </p><p>“Ah!” Bill falls over as Camilo and Harry attack him with the cake. He’s soon covered in every color of the rainbow, crumbles of cake mixing in with the ice cream left on his face.</p><p> </p><p>Genevieve takes aim at Iona and this time, it doesn’t miss. Cheese and mushy pasta sticking pleasingly to her face and chest. Iona doesn’t seem bothered, picking up pieces of discarded cake and rushing into battle. </p><p> </p><p>Miki begins throwing more mushroom surprise at Genevieve. Genevieve ducks and dodges as Robyn covers her, coming up behind Miki and dumping Nicky’s grey colored soup over her head. The warm goop drips down her face and covers her hair as she stands in shock.  </p><p> </p><p>The islanders are soon covered from head to toe in food from the battle. All of their outfits are ruined and stained, but they laugh, pretending that this food fight didn’t have unspoken tension lying right beneath the surface. </p><p> </p><p>All it would have taken was a hit too hard from the right person. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my gosh,” Robyn flicks her hands, melted ice cream going everywhere, “I can’t believe this.” </p><p> </p><p>She has to admit that the food fight was fun, but now she feels gross, covered in pasta and cheese and dessert. </p><p> </p><p>“You totally started it,” Nicky says. He shakes his head like a puppy, mystery food flying everywhere.</p><p> </p><p>“Nicky!” Elladine squeals, covering her face, “Stop! You’re getting more food on me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, babe,” Nicky says, turning to look pointedly at Robyn, “Well, maybe if I had a <em> hat </em>, I wouldn’t have food in my hair now, would I?” </p><p> </p><p>“Actually,” Robyn holds up a finger at him, “If you wore your hat, it would have been ruined. I actually helped your hat live to see another day.” </p><p> </p><p>Nicky pauses, glancing around as if he was making sure no one would hear him before turning back at Robyn, “Okay… You might be right about that.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn smiles at him smugly, crossing her arms over her chest. Nicky shakes his head with a laugh before turning his attention to Elladine. He pulls a piece of watermelon off her hair and they both scrunch up their faces in disgust.  </p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs. She has to admit that the two of them are cute together. They seem to get along so well and are arguably the most solid couple in the Villa right now. As much as she may have secretly wanted Nicky for herself, she enjoys seeing him happy and she wouldn’t interrupt that for the world. </p><p> </p><p>She turns back to scan the lawn for Camilo. She meets his eyes and laughs out loud. Someone dumped a tub of ice cream over him. Strawberry, chocolate and vanilla make a waterfall of flavors over his shoulders and down his jacket. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo walks over to Robyn, laughing as he wipes his hands on his pants, “What a night. You’re covered in gunt, chica.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn sighs dramatically, repeating her spin from early that evening, “I’m a mess, babe.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re the sexiest mess I’ve ever seen,” he chuckles, “Why don’t we go clean up?”</p><p> </p><p>Images of them in the shower together suddenly flood her mind, making her blush, “Together?”</p><p> </p><p>“If that’s alright with you,” he smiles and leans over to whisper in her ear, careful that no one over heard, “I was thinking we’d get to the bathroom before everyone else.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you’re a genius,” Robyn giggles, being the first in the bathroom meant being the ones clean. But being alone with him as an official couple thrills her and makes her nervous all at once. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo grins, taking her by the hand as they sneak away from the others towards the villa. </p><p> </p><p>“Ugh,” Robyn says as they step into the bathroom, “That was a good stress reliever, but I feel so gross. The mushroom surprise is all cold and wet now.”</p><p> </p><p>“At least all that food didn’t go to waste,” Camilo laughs. He smiles down at her before pulling a spaghetti noodle from her chest, “Don’t worry, we’ll get off…”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn pauses in surprise at his touch, before registering what he said. She giggles and arches her brow at him, “You promise?”</p><p> </p><p>Camilo looks confused for a moment before his eyes go wide realizing his mistake. He chuckles, “I meant to say we’ll get it off, but I mean…”</p><p> </p><p>He wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her closer, bringing his lips close to hers.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s a promise I can make,” his lips barely brush against hers with every word, his hands resting on her hips, his blue eye gaze smouldering.  </p><p> </p><p>Her heart skips a beat. Robyn blushes as a bashful giggle escapes her lips. </p><p> </p><p>She pushes her hands against his chest to wiggle out of his grip, purposely brushing her body against his, “Maybe if I wasn’t covered in Bill’s cooking.”</p><p> </p><p>“Later then,” Camilo laughs, reaching to rub the back of his neck until he remembers the ice cream splattered there. He takes his jacket off instead, revealing strong arms and a dirty black tee. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll think about it,” she replies teasingly. Her breath gets caught in her throat as Camilo continues to undress, lifting his shirt to reveal his athletic build. </p><p> </p><p>Robyn bites her lip, taking in every muscle and inch of smooth brown skin. Sure, the guys all walked around shirtless all day, but something about seeing him undress in front of her feels more intimate. And just a little intimidating. </p><p> </p><p>“You like what you see?” Camilo asks with a delectable smile. He tilts his head up at her as he catches her stare, tossing his shirt onto the floor.</p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s cheeks turn red hot as she blushes and turns away flustered. She grabs a towel from the rack. <em> Talk about fanny flutters.  </em></p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” she replies quietly, “I just got a little distracted is all.” </p><p> </p><p>“Distracted, huh?” Camilo says with a chuckle as he walks up behind her. She is highly aware of his proximity to her body. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, just a little,” she murmurs, concentrating on wiping the chucks of mushroom and sauce from her chest. </p><p> </p><p>“Everything about you is distracting to me,” Camilo replies, bending down to pull noodles from the back of her leg. She giggles as the tips of his fingers brush against her sensitive skin.</p><p> </p><p>“Uh oh,” Camilo chuckles as he works, “Don’t tell me you’re ticklish.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn’s eyes go wide with fear, “No no… Not at all.” </p><p> </p><p>“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?” Camilo allows his fingers to run up her sides as he stands. His small touches leaving lasting tingles in their wake. Robyn gasps out loud, shimming away from him as she tries not to laugh.</p><p> </p><p>“Definitely not,” Robyn says, biting her lip at him still trying to contain her laughter. </p><p> </p><p>“You definitely are,” Camilo laughs, shaking his head at her, “I’ll let you get away with it this once.” </p><p> </p><p>“I feel like I’m in danger now,” Robyn laughs, walking towards the mirror. Camilo knows one of her number one weakness. She hates being tickled, it’s the quickest way to get her to do anything he’d like.</p><p> </p><p>“You might be,” he considers for a moment, grabbing a clean towel from the rack. He comes to stand beside her in the mirror before running the towel under the hot water. He grins, “Or you might not be.”</p><p> </p><p>“How am I supposed to sleep beside you at night knowing you might use that against me?” Robyn replies, looking up at his reflection in his mirror and he’s gorgeous. </p><p> </p><p>“You’ll just have to trust me,” he responds, ringing out the excessive water in the towel before turning his attention back to her. </p><p> </p><p>“Want me to clean your back off for you?” he asks with a smile.</p><p> </p><p>“That would be great actually,” Robyn says, turning her back to him, “I probably wouldn’t be able to reach in the shower.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, I try to think ahead most of the time,” Camilo replies, pushing her locs over her shoulders before pressing the towel to her skin. </p><p> </p><p>The warmth of the towel is a welcomed relief from the cold sauce and desserts covering her skin.</p><p> </p><p>Robyn sighs, “Wow, that feels so much better already.”</p><p> </p><p>“If that feels good,” Camilo wipes her back off gently, “Just wait until you get into the actual shower.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re so right,” Robyn says quietly, rolling her neck to give Camilo better access to her neck and shoulders as he takes care of the mess.</p><p> </p><p>Once he gets to the sleeve of her dress, he hooks his finger under the thin fabric. He hesitates, “Is this alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“Umhm,” Robyn nods her head, simply indulging in the feeling of being taken care of. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo slowly lowers it to wash her shoulders uninterrupted by the tiny straps. He’s resisting the urge to kiss her neck as he wipes it clean. It doesn’t help that she takes a step back towards him, her body is just out of reach and he swore he heard it calling his name. </p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Blimey. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>His body is ready to pounce on her now, but he can’t. His heart’s ready to do this right and he couldn’t forget that he was just sharing a bed with another woman last night. How would Iona feel if he moved on so fast? And he really likes this woman standing in front of him. He doesn’t want to do anything that might scare her off. </p><p> </p><p>But between the red dress and the teasing and the images of her on the beach...</p><p> </p><p>“You know…” she says quietly as he moves to clean her other shoulder, “Being with someone has never felt so natural so quickly before.” </p><p> </p><p>Camilo smiles, “So you feel it too, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” she says as he removes the towel from her skin. He watches as she turns around to face him, her warm brown eyes glance up at him, framed by long lashes. He’s quietly embarrassed of how quickly he’s become a complete melt for this girl, “I don’t know what it is about you, honestly it’s kind of scary.”</p><p> </p><p>“Scary?” he asks with a half-hearted laugh, “What about little ole me is scary?”</p><p> </p><p>“Little?” Robyn’s eyes roam over his body, sending a wave of pleasure and confidence through him before meeting his eyes once again with a playful smile, “There’s nothing little about you.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> Did she know that she’s making it unbelievably hard to control himself?  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>He grins, “Don’t you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>She laughs, swatting his arm, “Stop that!”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t help it,” he chuckles, capturing her hand in his as he interlocks their fingers, “You just make it easy.”</p><p> </p><p>She rolls her eyes playfully. Camilo smiles, pulling her close to him before surprising her with a kiss. He presses his lips to hers tenderly, tasting her smile before pulling away. </p><p> </p><p>She blushes, “What was that for?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just because I want to,” Camilo responds and arches his brow, “Do I need a reason?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well…” she gushes, “I guess not.” </p><p><br/>Camilo smiles, wondering how a woman could be so adorable covered head to toe in food? He just wants to kiss her again.</p><p> </p><p>“Robyn?” He asks quietly.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?” she replies, glancing up at him. Her eyes flicker over his body as another playful smile comes to her lips, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Can I —”</p><p> </p><p>“Oops!” Nicky bursts in through the bathroom door, looking between the two of them. A knowing grin on his face, “Sorry, I didn’t realize that you two were in here.” </p><p> </p><p><em> Of course </em>. Camilo sighs, this is definitely going to be the main drawback of living with nine other people. He lets out a tight breath before turning to face Nicky.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not interrupting, am I?” Nicky simply grins and winks at them, making Robyn blush. It kind of annoys him.  </p><p> </p><p>“No, you’re not,” Camilo responds. It was probably better if he left Robyn to shower now anyway, “I was just… I was just heading out so Robyn could take a shower.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, okay,” Nicky replies, looking at Robyn with an innocent smile, “You don’t mind if I grab a couple towels first?”</p><p> </p><p>“Go ahead, Nicky,” Robyn just shakes her head in defeat and laughs. She gives Camilo’s arm a squeeze, sensing his annoyance by the interruption, “Thanks for helping me clean up, babe.” </p><p> </p><p>“Anything for you, chica,” Camilo glances at her, before pressing another sweet kiss to her lips, “Let me know when you’re out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Will do,” she smiles as he walks out the bathroom. He shakes his head at Nicky making him chuckle as he walks out.</p><p> </p><p>“Is that going to be a problem now that you’re coupled up?” Nicky asks with a grin before grabbing a few towels from the rack, “Will it be unsafe to enter the bathroom from now on? God, I can’t even imagine the two of you in bed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nicky, shut up,” Robyn laughs, putting her hands on her hips, “You ever thought of knocking? Maybe then you wouldn’t have to worry about interrupting our sexy time.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky snorts and bursts out laughing, “Sexy time? Really, Robyn? You couldn’t think of anything else?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re so annoying,” Robyn says with a grin, leaning against the sink, “But while you’re here, let me ask you something.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, boy,” Nicky pauses, looking up at her skeptically, “There’s not trouble in paradise already?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” Robyn shakes her head, “No… It’s not about Camilo… Kind of.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky arches a brow and comes to stand beside her, sitting the towels on the counter, “Go on then, what’s it about?”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn sighs, crossing her arms over her chest, “Was it just me or did Miki totally do that on purpose?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah,” Nicky nods in sudden understanding, “Yeah… I was kind of wondering that too.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn frowns as Nicky just confirms that she isn’t crazy for thinking that. Except that she almost wishes that she was, “I had a chat with Iona earlier you know, and like… It didn’t go how I expected.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky looks at her concerned, “Well, what happened?”<br/><br/></p><p>“I mean basically Iona said she’s still going to try it on with Camilo,” Robyn sighs, her hands gesturing vaguely as she talks, “But we agreed that was fair, right? It’s Love Island, she was coupled up with him first. I get it. We agreed that we would at least be respectful towards each other, but then all of a sudden Miki’s tripping and somehow the person that gets covered in gunt is me?” </p><p> </p><p>Nicky scratches his head, making a face as the tips of his fingers get covered in mushy cheese, “Yeah, seems a little bit convenient.”</p><p> </p><p>“Exactly!” Robyn says, “And like I don’t know, should I say something?”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky thinks for a moment, turning to wash his hands in the sink, “Well… You don’t actually have proof that she did it on purpose…”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn sighs, disappointed Nicky didn’t agree right away. She nods reluctantly, crossing her arms over her chest.</p><p> </p><p>“And if you do say something now, it’s going to sound like you’re accusing her,” Nicky adds, drying his hands off on one of the towels, “I’d say to just let it ride tonight. Everything turned out alright. We had fun. There’s no point in ruining the vibe now.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn frowns, looking down at her feet, still covered in sauce, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”</p><p> </p><p>But she can’t help feeling conflicted. Miki didn’t even apologize to her and what she did was rude and disrespectful. Even if the night turned out alright, there was still going to be problems between the two of them. Not to mention, Robyn took aim at Iona for laughing. That was definitely not good for their relationship. </p><p> </p><p>“But,” Nicky says, quietly observing her expression, “If something happens again... I would definitely say something. I’m not telling you to stir the pot, but I can’t stand by if someone is blatantly disrespecting you.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn glances up at him and bites her lip, “Are you saying you’d back me up?”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky sucks his teeth, drumming his fingers against the countertop, “As much as I hate the drama, I’ll be here for you.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn grins, a bit of relief flooding over her, “Thanks, Nicky.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” he says with a smile, noticing the way her shoulders relax just a bit. He wouldn’t have agreed for anyone else, “You should talk to Viv about it tomorrow too. Just to get another perspective.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think I will,” Robyn replies, feeling more confident about speaking to the others than she has over the past two days. Genevieve did really seem to have her back as well. </p><p> </p><p>“And you need to chat with Camilo about Iona,” Nicky adds cautiously, “He’s going to be in the middle of all of this.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re so right,” Robyn nods, twiddling her fingers as she thinks. It was going to be necessary. Things were great and flowed naturally now, but she knows they're starting the honeymoon phase of their relationship. She needs to make sure she knows exactly where she stands with him if she wants to keep Iona from digging her claws into him. Literally. </p><p> </p><p>“You’re finally giving me some credit,” Nicky says with a grin making her laugh despite the conflict brewing in her head.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, well… I’d give you a hug too,” she says before looking up and down his stained clothes, “But you’re kinda…”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t remind me,” Nicky says with a laugh, “It’s all thanks to you. You know for someone who said they haven’t had drama in two years, you sure go looking for trouble now.” </p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs softly, “I promise I don’t. I just won’t be pushed around. I learned to not be afraid to step up for myself. I won’t take disrespect from anyone in this Villa. Not from Iona, not from Miki, not even you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that a warning?” Nicky looks over at her in surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a promise,” Robyn grins and shrugs.</p><p> </p><p>“And here, I thought we were friends, trouble-maker,” Nicky replies with a chuckle.</p><p> </p><p>“We are, but it is what it is, Nicky,” she giggles and pinches his arm affectionately, “Now get out so I can wash and go be with my new man.” </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, excuse me,” Nicky laughs and grabs the towels he sat on the counter, “I’ll just be going then.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Nicky, wait!” Robyn squeals, turning around and pointing to the zipper down her back, “Can you get that before you go? I can’t reach it.”</p><p> </p><p>Nicky pauses, surprised by her request. The image of her dress dropping to the floor suddenly floods his mind and he squeezes his eyes shut to cast out the image from behind his eyelids. </p><p> </p><p>That image was completely uncalled for, but it heightens his awareness of how compromising the simple act could be as he grips the towels in his hand. </p><p> </p><p><em> Should he say yes? What would Camilo think if he saw it? What would Elladine say? Would this be on camera? Would he do this for another girl? Should he just say no and make another witty remark? </em> </p><p> </p><p>It doesn’t even register in his mind that she says he doesn’t need to zip it all the way down. Not that it would have mattered if he just said yes without thought. </p><p> </p><p>There’s a knock at the door and Nicky lets out a deep breath he didn’t know he was holding as he’s brought back into the room from the recesses of his mind. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey babe,” Camilo steps back into the room. Nicky’s instinct to stop and think for a second paid off. He never thought that he’d be so happy to hear Camilo’s voice.</p><p> </p><p>“I realized we didn’t grab your pajamas on the way in, so I thought I’d bring them to you,” Camilo stops short, shooting a confused look at Nicky, surprised to find him still in the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, babe,” Robyn says with a smile, stepping up to greet him, “I’m actually glad you’re here, can you get this zipper for me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Camilo replies with a grin, sitting her pajamas on the bathroom counter. Robyn turns around, lifting up her locs as Camilo takes the zipper in his hand. </p><p> </p><p>Camilo pauses before looking over his shoulder at Nicky, “Do you mind?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not at all,” Nicky grins, recovering from his early dilemma, “Please continue.”</p><p> </p><p>Robyn laughs, her back turned towards him, “I know we’re hot, Nicky, but please<em> get out </em>.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m going, I’m going,” Nicky laughs as he shuffles out the room, closing the bathroom door behind him. </p><p> </p><p>As soon as he’s out of hearing range, Nicky curses under his breath, shaking his head as he walks away.</p><p> </p><p><em> That was close </em> ….  <em> What the hell is wrong with him?  </em></p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Coconut Oil</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Camilo tries to brush off his new suspicions with a grin, “What can I say? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve already been chosen by two beautiful women since I got here.”</p><p>Nicky rolls his eyes, “Don’t remind us. We might get jealous.”</p><p>“Yeah, well I don’t know about that,” Seb relies with a smirk, taking a bite from his apple, “I didn’t need glasses to see the look on Iona’s face this morning.”</p><p>“If looks could kill, mate,” Nicky says, shaking his head, “Lucky you missed that.”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Part 1 - Hot Chocolate Kisses </strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Buenos d</span>
  <span>í</span>
  <span>as, chica.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blinks away the heavy sleep in her eyes as Camilo whispers in her ear, his breath tickling her cheek. A strong arm snugs her closer into the warm body of the man laying beside her. Her senses are flooded with the comforting smell of warm spices and the sweet aroma of cinnamon.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She smiles, cuddling into his chest, her body fitting perfectly against his, “Good morning, Camilo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you this morning?” He asks, nuzzling into the curve of her neck as his lips skim across her skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She squeezes his arm, ravishing in the feeling of being held by such a beautiful man, “I’m amazing. And you?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckles and she feels the slightest touch of his nose as he moves to kiss her cheek, “I don’t think I could possibly be any better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah?” she asks, smiling to herself. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he responds and she feels his smile against her skin, “It’s a special day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh?” She asks, her brows furrowing together as she rolls over to face him, “It is?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs before sitting up, the duvet falling around his tone waistline, “Yeah, it’s our first full day together as an official couple.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes go wide as she pushes up from the bed with a smile, “Oh my goodness. You’re right.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought I’d make it special by fixing you breakfast,” he replies with a grin, reaching to the nightstand on his side of the bed. He has a steaming hot mug in his hand as he turns back to face her, “A hot chocolate for you, chica.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hot chocolate?” She grins, sitting up enthusiastically, “Camilo, that’s so sweet. I love hot chocolate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He grins, “I was hoping you might have a bit of a sweet tooth.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He places the handle of the mug in her hand before reaching back to the nightstand. Somehow she completely missed the tray of food he stored there.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“When did you make this?” She asks in surprise as he picks up the tray.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I actually woke up earlier,” he responds, “I just couldn’t resist getting back into bed with you after I saw how cute you were all snuggled up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blushes, taking a tentative sip of hot chocolate, “You’re too sweet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiles, “I’m just being honest with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What did you make?” she asks curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huevos revueltos,” he says, moving the tray into her lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn furrows her brows once again and looks down at the plate, “It looks like scrambled eggs to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs and drags his hand over the side of his face, shaking his head, “That’s because it is.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oops,” she says, blushing as she helps him steady the tray in her lap.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“At least you’re honest,” he shakes his head again and chuckles, “You actually don’t know much Spanish, do you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn shakes her head, sitting the mug on the tray, “No, not really. I only remember a couple basics from some of my friends in New York. One taught Spanish at one of the high schools. To be honest, I don’t really remember how to say a lot of things, but I know them when I hear them, you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Camilo nods. He relaxes against the headboard, watching her with a grin, “What do you know then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn picks up her fork and thinks for a moment, “Hola… Cómo estás… Cómo se dice… Me llamo Robyn…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you remember the first day of Spanish class?” He interrupts with a chuckle, picking up his own mug from the nightstand. At least he knows now what he’s working with.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Robyn laughs, rolling her eyes, “Don’t patronize me. I was going down the list in my head.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo laughs and wraps his free arm around her shoulder, “Don’t worry. It’s fine, I’ll teach you a little something.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn glances up at him, taking a bite of her breakfast, “What ya gonna teach me?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo studies her a moment, taking in her messy bun of locs wrapped in colorful fabric and pretty face. She was still gorgeous without makeup, “Eres muy guapa.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn pauses, tapping her finger against the tray, “T</span>
  <span>ú….” she pauses again, biting her lip as she tries to think of an appropriate response. His lip upturn in a small smirk as he watches her curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what? I give up,” Robyn shakes her head and laughs, “I just wanted to say you too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” He laughs, “You know what that means, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re not the first man to tell me I was pretty in Spanish,” Robyn replies with a smirk. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He arches a brow at her, “Oh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She giggles, looking down before taking another bite of food, “Nope.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I should have known,” he says with a chuckle, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But thank you,” she smiles, snuggling into his side as she picks up her mug, “So is this what mornings with Camilo are like?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll find out soon enough,” he replies with a grin, “I don’t know about the breakfast in bed every day though. But I tend to get up pretty early in the mornings.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re better than me,” Robyn replies, “I’ll sleep all day if you let me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, “I can tell. You’re kind of a heavy sleeper.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She giggles, “Yeahhh… I sleep like the dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It kind of depends for me,” Camilo replies, “Like sometimes after a long day on my feet, I go out like a light and that’s me,” he shrugs, “But other times I have nights where anything can wake me up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That makes sense,” Robyn responds, glancing up at him, “How did you sleep last night?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Pretty good,” he grins, “I finally got to spoon you. You’re a perfect little spoon.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blushes and turns away to hide her precious smile. He needs to find a way to get her break that habit, “Well, thank you. I love sharing the bed with a cuddler.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s good to hear,” Camilo replies, his thumb mindlessly stroking her shoulder, “Some of my exs didn’t like to share a bed with me because they said I almost pushed them off all the time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn stops herself from laughing out loud, “Wow, Camilo. You’re dedicated to snuggle, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m a cuddler for life,” he replies with a shrug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m totally going to get that for you on a t-shirt,” she says, gesturing out as if there’s a sign in front of them, “On the front it’ll say ‘Cuddler for Life’ and on the back, ‘Dedicated to the Snuggle.’” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs out loud, “I don’t think you understand how much I’m looking forward to that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grins and continues to eat. Camilo sits back with a smile, content with enjoying their morning together as they continue to chat as the other islanders move in and out of the bedroom. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Camilo knows that they need to get ready for the day so he rises out of bed once Robyn finishes her breakfast, taking the tray from her lap as she thanks him with a chocolaty kiss. He knows he’s going to treat Robyn like a queen and he hopes that she recognizes that after today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can’t help grinning to himself on the way to the kitchen as he overhears Genevieve and AJ walk over to gush to Robyn about her breakfast-in-bed, the girls giggling as he leaves. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo exits the Villa to find Seb leaning against the counter in the kitchen while Nicky is sipping on a cup of coffee.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alrighty?” Seb nods in his direction.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Morning,” Camilo says, returning his greeting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you, mate?” Nicky says with a grin, glancing at the tray in his hand, “You made breakfast for your girl?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo chuckles, removing the dishes and putting up the tray, “You know it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds like you’re whipped already,” Seb replies, chuckling as he tosses an apple back and forth in his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Probably,” Camilo replies with a laugh, turning the sink on to wash the plate and mugs, “ And I have no shame about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you’re happy that Robyn chose you last night?” Seb asks curiously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo chuckles and glances at him from the corner of his eyes, “Do you need glasses, mate? Have you seen her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky laughs, nudging Seb’s arm, “He’s got you there, Mark. Robyn is pretty fit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seb rolls his eyes and Camilo pauses, his gaze turning to Nicky with an arched brow, “I thought you only saw her as a friend?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky shrugs and sips his coffee, “I do. But I don’t need glasses to know she’s fit.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fair,” Camilo mumbles as he turns back to focus on the dishes in the sink, turning the hot water off as he grabs a sponge. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If anyone else had said that, he wouldn't have blinked or thought twice about it but something just doesn’t sit right. Nicky didn’t say </span>
  <em>
    <span>anything</span>
  </em>
  <span> about her being fit when the boys chatted the day she first arrived; that’s why they sent Nicky to chat with her that night. It seems interesting that he can acknowledge her beauty now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see that the two of you chat a lot, it’s good to see you hitting it off as </span>
  <em>
    <span>friends</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Camilo adds, recalling that Nicky was in the bathroom with her longer than necessary last night. He scrubs the mug in his hand a bit harder than necessary. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Nicky considers, either unbothered by Camilo’s tone or he didn’t notice. He crosses his ankles as he leans against the counter with a smile, “She has a good vibe, mad chill. You’re a lucky guy.” </span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Camilo tries to brush off his new suspicions with a grin, “What can I say? In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve already been chosen by two beautiful women since I got here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky rolls his eyes, “Don’t remind us. We might get jealous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, well I don’t know about that,” Seb relies with a smirk, taking a bite from his apple, “I didn’t need glasses to see the look on Iona’s face this morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky sucks his teeth and nods as he looks at Camilo, “I take it you didn’t fix her breakfast yesterday?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo winces, drying off the clean plate, “Uh… Yeah, no.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If looks could kill, mate,” Nicky says, shaking his head, “Lucky you missed that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo sighs as he goes to put up the dishes, “I’m just trying to impress Robyn. I’m not trying to upset Iona…” he turns to face the guys, “But I don’t like the idea of her hanging over my head either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, you should let her know that,” Nicky offers, taking another sip from his mug, “Because I’m pretty sure she’s pissed. And from what I heard, you’re still her number one man.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe that’s what Nicky and Robyn chatted about last night? Robyn hasn’t said anything to him about the chat with Iona yet. Camilo frowns and goes to grab his water bottle from the fridge, “What else have you heard?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not my place to say,” Nicky shrugs, “I just think you should chat with her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you guys are talking about Iona, then he’s definitely right,” Bill says, walking into the kitchen with three mugs in his hand. He sighs and sits the mugs in the sink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Camilo says, looking between Nicky and Bill, “Did Robyn say something?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Is it possible that she talked to everyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>except</span>
  </em>
  <span> him? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill shakes his head, “Not to me. But Iona had an earful to say this morning. I asked how she was when I was bringing tea for Miki, and...” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill takes on a girly voice and furrows his brows together as he takes on Iona’s persona, “I’m great. Fantastic. Wonderful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill looks at Camilo dead in the eyes and puts his hands on his hips, rolling his neck, “Actually, Bill. I’m fucking fuming.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Seb and Nicky laugh out loud and Camilo shakes his head, trying to contain his own laughter, “You’re so wrong for that, mate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bill laughs and shakes his head, turning his attention to the mugs in the sink, “It’s all just bants. But I’m serious, mate. She is not hap—” </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>“</span><em><span>Oh</span></em> <em><span>shit</span></em><span>,” Nicky whispers loudly as Iona cuts around the corner. He spins away from her, nudging Bill to be quiet. He glances at Camilo with wide eyes, signaling to act natural as Bill cringles and turns to focus on the mugs in the sink.</span></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo turns away, looking out towards the lawn as he takes a sip of his water bottle. Seb just chuckles and casually takes another bite of his apple. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona pauses, looking between the boys curiously before letting her gaze fall on Camilo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A slow smile spreads across her face as she strolls towards him, resting a hand on his arm, “Good morning, handsome.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d be lying if he says her touch didn’t leave goosebumps. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He clears his throat, stepping out of her reach, “Good morning.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How are you?” She asks, lifting herself up to sit on the counter space beside him. Her blonde hair falls over her turquoise eyes as she smiles at him. It throws him off because her mood is completely different from Bill’s description. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m good, I’m good,” Camilo replies, glancing behind her as the guys attempt to sneak out of the kitchen. Nicky raises his mug up towards Camilo, tilting his head with a grin as they all head towards the lawn. Bill does a little finger wave and Seb shoots him a thumbs-up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Bastards</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He has to stop himself from shaking his head as he focuses his gaze back on to Iona, “How are you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I could be better,” she sighs, running her hand through her hair, before meeting his eyes, “I’m sure you understand why.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo frowns, rubbing his arm. He might as well get this chat over with now. “Yeah… Are you okay? I meant it last night when I said I’m glad you get to stay. You know, I really do hate the thought of you being in danger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona chuckles, lowering her eyes, “Thanks… But you didn’t seem very conflicted last night. I wish you would have pulled me aside for a chat.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo winces, rubbing the back of his neck, “Yeah… I’m sorry. I should have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona sighs, “It’s okay. I get it, there was a lot going on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nods, leaning against the counter next to her as he crosses his arms over his chest, “I just thought it would be a good idea for you and Robyn to chat last night. I don’t want to be the reason why you two don’t get along.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs and nods, “Oh, don’t worry about that. Just give me some time, I’m sure we’ll be fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Camilo glances up at her in surprise and she nods, “That’s good to hear.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them share a smile before Iona shakes her head and looks away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I am actually worried about Robyn,” she says, her nails tapping nervously against the counter, “Like I know you’re together now so could you put in a good word for me? I don’t know if you noticed, but she was totally aiming for me last night and I didn’t even do anything except laugh. I wasn’t even the only one.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He frowns, recalling the food fight from the evening before. What she said wasn’t completely untrue. Robyn did take aim at her after Miki dropped the pasta on the table. He’d be foolish to ignore that. And there wasn’t any way that Miki and Iona planned that even if Iona did laugh. It couldn’t hurt to bring that up to Robyn after what Iona went through last night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Franky, he thinks she ought to apologize for it. It’s just he isn’t sure how Robyn will take it if he brings it up but he’s never been one to shy away from conflict. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo shifts his weight, tapping his fingers against his arm as he thinks, “Yeah, I think I can do that for you. Anything to help.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona’s smile is full of relief, “Thanks, handsome. I really appreciate it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” he says, returning her smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So…” Iona rests her hand on his shoulder, “Are you two getting along?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo tries to ignore the way she’s mindlessly caressing his skin, tracing circles over the muscles on his broad shoulders, “Yeah, we’re getting along great. I know that might be hard for you to hear now,” he rolls his shoulders back, forcing Iona’s hand to drop, “But I want to be honest.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, not at all,” Iona purrs, seemingly unfazed, “I’m sure she’s lovely. I just wanted to make sure you were happy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glances over at her curiously, his brow arched, “Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That didn’t match up with what Bill said at all. Was he mistaken? Did he over exaggerate her feelings for a couple of laughs? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She nods, “I was really hurt. I still kind of am. But I realize what really matters is that you’re happy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo blinks, completely taken aback by Iona’s statement. It’s not what he’s expecting at all. He thought that she would try to argue him down over some unspoken claim she’d think he owed her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That really means a lot,” he replies, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a side hug, “Like, really. A lot. I wasn’t expecting that, I hate that you’re single now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona laughs, wrapping her arm around his waist, “Is that your way of saying you want me back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, I’m just happy we can still be mates,” Camilo chuckles, “Anybody would be lucky to couple up with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Iona’s smile tightens ever so slightly, “I’m glad we can be mates too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo squeezes her one last before dropping his arm from around her, “So do you have your eyes on anyone? Maybe I can put in a word with one of the guys.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To be honest?” Iona bites her lip, dropping her gaze again, “No one besides you,” she sighs, “I know you like Robyn and all, but I figured that we’ll be honest with each other now so I want to tell you the truth.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo rubs the back of his neck again as he tries to think of a way to respond. It’s not that he didn’t like Iona. He really did see the two of them being good mates and, it’s possible that if Robyn wasn’t an option… Well, Iona could be good for him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Robyn </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> here and with him now. He can already tell that she isn’t just a summer fling. But, he can’t help but to ask himself if it's too soon to put all of his eggs in Robyn’s basket? Frankly, he didn’t really care. He knows he wants her and he’ll do what he has to to keep her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But how is he supposed to say no to Iona now? It’s Love Island. A little voice in his head reminds him that it’s still a competition and his family could use the money, especially his dad.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As his mind works, Camilo can’t seem to find the strength to push Iona away so he simply sighs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unable to hurt her feelings, he gives her hand a gentle squeeze as he meets her eyes, “Let’s just see how this week goes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iona smiles, returning his grip, “Alright… Let’s see how it goes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo returns her smile, despite knowing he was denying the inevitable, “I’ll see you around then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Iona nods as he drops her hand before departing towards the lawn. Iona watches him walk away with a smirk pulling at her lips. What he told her wasn’t much, but it’s just enough to make her feel like she has a chance. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo soon finds himself at the pool with AJ and Harry. The Spanish sun is beaming and the water is a welcomed relief against the heat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn strolls over as they throw a beach ball between the three of them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her water bottle in hand, she sits along the edge of the pool watching them play. Camilo smiles and throws the ball back to AJ once he notices her. He glides over to her through the water, welcomed by the slight of her smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s my girl,” he says with a grin, coming to cross his arms over the edge of the pool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Robyn responds with a grin, leaning back onto her hands to enjoy the sun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Looking pretty as always,” Camilo says with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs, her eyes drifting over his face and shoulders, “Yeah? You’re pretty sexy yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me again,” he chuckles and winks at her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She giggles, her tongue darting out to lick her bottom lip as she shakes her head at him, “Nuh uh, can’t let you get a big head.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs before stepping back into the pool to catch the ball as it blows right over Harry’s head. Camilo catches it and throws it back towards them before returning to Robyn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But it’s too late, babe,” he says, picking up on their conversation, “Trust me, my ego has definitely gotten a boost since I’ve been chosen by you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs at him and uses her foot to splash water over his shoulders, “Sounds like you need to cool off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, grabbing her by the ankle before coming to stand between her legs, “Impossible when I’m around you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes and tries to contain her smile, wrapping her arms around his neck as he rests his hands around her waist, “Smooth talker.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugs, “I’m trying to impress you, aren’t I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs and tilts her head at him, “You don’t need to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he replies simply with a smile, “But I want to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s blush deepens and she returns his smile before glancing out over the lawn. He follows her eyes to see the islanders are spread throughout the villa, wrapped up in their conversations as the day moves on. It was safe to say that no one was paying attention to them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you know,” Robyn starts hesitantly, pulling his eyes back towards her as she looks down at her hands dropping to rest on his chest.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She bites her lip, “I wanted to have a chat about Iona with you, I did chat with her last night. I wanted to tell you how it went.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo nods, happy that she’s ready to chat with him. It’s better to get all of this out the way now so that they can enjoy the day together. He needs to hear her side of the story, knowing he can’t fully trust Iona’s point of view. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He moves out of her arms to lift himself out of the water in order to sit beside her, wanting her to know he took this conversation seriously, “Yeah, how did it go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Robyn sighs and takes a sip from her water bottle, “It wasn’t ideal… Like at all. She’s still interested in you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo sighs. He’s not surprised, feeling a bit guilty knowing he didn’t completely shut Iona down earlier.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I figured she would be,” he responds, casting his gaze into the water.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn arches a brow at him and frowns.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not that I’m saying like,” Camilo grimaces, unsure of how to recover, “I’m not trying to say I'm irresistible or anything. It’s just I know that... Like, she would have preferred if we stayed together.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you are like… irresistible,” Robyn snickers. He glances at her and chuckles, shaking his head at her as she gives him a light-hearted grin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Flattery will get you everywhere,” he returns her grin, squeezing her thigh. Her skin was smooth and slick, recently covered in some essential oil. The feel of it nearly makes him drool.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me that, Camilo,” her eyes are daring as she looks up at him with a dangerous smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll tell you anything to get you to look at me like that again,” he responds, letting his eyes drift over her body. He pauses as he notices a beaded bracelet around her thigh. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How did he miss that?</span>
  </em>
  <span> He must have not noticed it, distracted by his game with Harry and AJ. It’s made of golden beads and pearls. He runs his thumb over it curiously, allured by the sex appeal that it adds to her bikini. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn watches him quietly, her lips slightly parted, “I got that on a girls’ trip to Jamaica.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Camilo glances up at her before his eyes flicker to her lips, “It looks really good on you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes as her heart races, “Stop it, you’re making me blush…” She bites her lip at him, “We’re supposed to be talking about Iona.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re the one who started it,” Camilo chuckles, shaking his head to break his trance.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he can’t resist giving her thigh another reassuring squeeze, “Anyway, babe. You don’t have anything to worry about it. She might be interested, but honestly? As long as you and I are together, I’m not interested.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes drifting to some spot behind him, “Yeah? You’re really not interested in Iona? Because like she’s sexy as hell and I’m sure she’s cool if she actually likes you. Not that I’ve been on the receiving end of that, but...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo frowns, “Has she been disrespectful to you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s lips twitch up in an ironic smirk, “I mean not exactly. But things between us aren’t peachy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighs. This is what Iona was talking about. He lets a low breath out between his lips, “I was afraid that would happen. So you didn’t settle anything when you talked to her?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I mean I did,” Robyn sighs and begins picking at the grass, “But like I told her I wouldn’t make a fuss if she talks to you and stuff. Because you were coupled up first and I won’t want to stop you from being happy if you find out you like her more… Like it’s your decision,” she glances up at him, “I guess I just wanted to know where your head was.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Robyn,” Camilo covers her hand with his as he looks into her eyes, “My mind has been concerned with nothing but you since the moment you stepped out of that suitcase.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A faint smile touches her lips, “Now look who’s the flattering who.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, “I’m just saying. I want to enjoy our time together. I like you a lot. Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I don’t want anything with Iona to get between us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn bites her lip, “So you like me? Or do you </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> like me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo laughs, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> like you, chica.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She giggles and runs her hand through her locs, “You’re proper silly for following me up… But I really like you too,” she smiles at him, “I’m just glad that you feel the same. Do you think that you could have a chat with Iona too? I think she’ll be more receptive to you than me. Like I don’t mind the two of you chatting, but it would give me some peace of mind if you told her how you feel.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Camilo’s smile drops ever so slightly, “I did chat with her this morning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Robyn blinks in surprise and glances away, “I didn’t realize… How did it go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t what I expected,” Camilo admits, “I mean she was super chill about it. I told her how I feel about you and everything. So we’re just going to be mates. But, like, she did ask me to talk to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn frowns and mets his gaze, her eyes slightly narrowed, “To talk to me? About what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“About the food fight,” he says, watching her expression carefully. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Robyn just sighs, looking out towards the water, “Oh, yeah. The food fight.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Camilo nods, running his thumb over her knuckles, “She thinks that you were aiming for her. She just doesn’t want you to think that she and Miki planned that on purpose. It was an accident so maybe you ought to apologize?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn looks up at him in disbelief, her fingers tapping rapidly against the ground as her eyes narrow. He realizes that he might’ve have come on too strong about the apology, but he doesn’t back down, holding her gaze steadily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t say anything for a moment and he hates the tension that’s building up between them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Robyn isn’t mad at him. She’s mad at the fact that he was right. She let her feelings get the best of her last night, but she had every right to. She’s the one who was embarrassed in front of the whole Villa and covered in </span>
  <em>
    <span>mushroom surprise</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not to mention, she’ll never get to wear that dress again. Whether she took aim at Iona or not, no one apologized to </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>. And why didn’t Iona approach her woman to woman instead sending a message through Camilo? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She didn’t like that. Not one bit, but if she said no to Camilo now, she’d look like a bitch. She has a feeling that was Iona’s plan all along. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn takes a deep breath, looking out over the water as she swallows back her pride, “Yeah. I can manage that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, babe,” Camilo says with a frown. He notices the change in her attitude and he’s desperate to relieve the tension between them. He didn’t understand why she didn’t share what’s making her feel put off by him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He wraps his arm around her shoulder and pulls her in for a cuddle. She stiffens immediately and refuses to meet his gaze.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Come on, babe,” Camilo sighs. This is what he was afraid of. He knows that Robyn probably feels like he’s taking sides, but he just wants to help soothe out the relationship between her and Iona. Especially if they’re all still going to be mates. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He takes Robyn by the chin, turning her face towards him so that he place a kiss on her lips. It’s a small peace offering to let her know she’s still his number one. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At first, she’s still stiff but as he pulls her closer, she melts into him. Her lips moving against his feels like the hottest thing in the world and the negative tension between them turns into something else.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Satisfied, he pulls away but can’t resist kissing the tip of her nose. She blushes and her eyes flicker down to his lips before she rolls her eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks away, fighting off a grin, “You can’t just kiss me to get me to do what you want, you know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No?” he says with a chuckle, letting his fingertips brush against her side, digging into her skin ever so lightly, “Maybe I should tickle you instead?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you dare, Camilo!” She squeals, slipping into the water to escape his grasp. She turns and grins at him, sinking into the water before her hands come up to splash him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” He’s suddenly dripping wet and he shakes the water from his head with a smirk, “Oh, it’s on, chica.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughs and takes off to the other side of the pool in a hurry. He follows her into the water as AJ and Harry look over, laughing out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now this is exactly how he wants to spend his summer.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Part II - Something Like a Interlude </strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky pauses in the bedroom, his hand hovering over his sunglasses that were left on the nightstand as he hears the soft melody from nearby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was someone singing? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“And I’m scared of you breakin’ my heart…Though there ain’t much left to break…” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Her voice drifts off into the chorus of her song.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yeah. One of the girls was definitely singing in the dressing room. He has a good idea of who it is, recognizing the flavor of milk and honey in her voice. He assumes she’s singing in key. She has a steady pitch, the song she was singing was familiar and natural to her voice. She actually sounds pretty good.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Like a gravitational pull, he finds himself walking towards the dressing room. Upon finding the door propped open, he smiles and leans against the doorframe. He’s right.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It's Robyn, his new best friend in the Villa. Over the past week, they’ve only grown more fond of each other’s company. Despite ignoring an underlying attraction towards her, if he isn’t with Elladine, he’s with Robyn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They often find themselves chatting in the summer sun or on the daybeds, some invisible chain linking them together throughout the week. They developed a running list of inside jokes as they watched the other islanders, finding out that they could trust each other not to spread gossip in the Villa.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s become his favorite person to confide in when everyone else comes running to him with their problems. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she knows she can trust him to be open and honest with her. When Camilo insisted that she apologize to Iona, she came running to him for advice. Nicky convinced her to go through it. Even though she was sure Iona was just trying to make her look bad. But so far, it seems to have paid off this week. Things have been chill. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Though Nicky didn’t understand why Camilo felt the need to ask Robyn to appease Iona that way, it rubbed him the wrong way because he felt like Robyn wasn’t the only one who needed to apologize. He reminded her that she was owed something as well but she didn’t want to drag it out any longer so she just let it go. He respected her decision, but he knew justice wasn’t served. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Now Robyn is sitting at the vanity alone, singing uncensored as she tends to her hair. Rubbing oil into her hands and running them through her locs before focusing the oil onto her scalp. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>So I’m takin’ my time</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she continues singing to herself, bright eyes proclaim an explicit self love for her reflection in the mirror. This is a look in her eyes that no one else has ever witnessed in person. Nicky has caught her in the act of showering herself in love and the notion brings a smile to his lips. She’s usually humble in front of a crowd.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She doesn’t realize that he's now standing in the doorway appreciating the sound in her voice so she continues on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Drivin’ slow and I hope you don’t mind</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The song sounds familiar to him but he couldn’t place the artist. He relaxes against the door frame, waiting for Robyn to finish her song. He’ll let her notice him on her own, wanting to absorb as much of her voice as he can. If he interrupts her, he knows she’ll get flustered and attempt to hide the allure of her talent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her voice flows along with the tune in her head, her hands run through her locs until she finally finishes. She leans into the mirror and smooths down tiny baby hairs and curly fly-aways, her voice switching to hum out the melody instead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky grins, happy to have stolen this moment. He almost turns back into the bedroom to leave, but pauses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why didn’t she tell him she could sing? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turns back to face her as his underlying need to know everything about her gets the best of him. He can’t be content with leaving her on her own. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So he relaxes back against the door frame with a smirk and begins to clap his hands slowly. Robyn jumps at the sound, knocking her knee on the vanity as she whips around with wide eyes to figure out who he is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oops</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He winces as the bang of her knee rings out. That had to hurt. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nicky!” She squeals at him, visually relaxing before she begins to rub her knee, “What the hell are you doing? You scared me half to death!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I see that,” Nicky tries to stop his chuckles and comes to take a seat beside her as she furrows her brows at him in annoyance, “I’m sorry. Are you okay? Is your knee hurt?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll survive,” she mumbles as she digs her thumb over her knee, a small distraction for the dull ache left from the vanity, “What are you doing in here?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just grabbing my sunglasses and I heard someone singing so I thought I’d check it out,” he answers honestly with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s cheeks flush red as she turns back towards the mirror, grabbing a small towel to wipe the oil from her knee, “Don’t tell me you heard that…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I did,” Nicky replies and shrugs, “I didn’t want you to stop. You sound pretty good.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, right,” she mumbles, distracting herself by wiping her hands in the towel, “I can’t sing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky arches a brow at her, “No? Last I checked I was the expert so I’ll tell you if you can sing or not.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blinks at her reflection before looking at him from the corner of her eyes, surprised by his bluntness, “Wow. I feel like I can’t even argue with that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s because you can’t,” he chuckles and picks up the container of the oil she was using, lifting the bottle to his nose to find out what it was. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are a music tutor, aren’t you?” Robyn replies, watching him curiously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He nods, taking a whiff of her container, “Is this coconut oil?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she replies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I have some? Will you massage it in for me?” He asks, fluttering his eyelashes at her playfully, “Promise I won’t sneak up on you anymore.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn rolls her eyes, a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips, “Of course, Nicky. How could I say no to you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Another thing you can’t do,” He says, making her sigh. She looks at him straight-faced and he grins, fluttering his lashes again, “I mean thanks, Robyn. You’re the best.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn shakes her head and laughs, turning in her seat. She gestures for Nicky to sit down on the floor. He pushes back the chair he was sitting in and gives into her silent demand. He settles down onto the floor with his back to her, relaxing between her thighs as he leans his head back into her lap. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know you really should sing more often though,” he says, watching as she gathers more of the oil into her hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh,” Robyn bites her lip as she rubs her hands together, the oil melting from the friction, “Don’t tell me that, I’m so embarrassed you heard me...” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs and rubs her knee affectionately, adding a bit of pressure to help soothe any left over pain, “Don’t be. You have a beautiful voice.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think so?” She asks, peeking down at him, her eyebrows arched in disbelief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Trust me, I wouldn’t lie about that,” Nicky responds, tilting his head towards her to offer an encouraging smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” is her only response as she allows her hands to rest in his hair before gently pushing his head forward, forcing him to look away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky relaxes against her as she begins massaging the oil into his head, her hands applying the perfect amount of pressure. His eyelids soon drop shut as the two of them fall into a comfort silence as she works. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky rolls his head back into her hands and nearly moans in pleasure. Her manicured nails scratched an itch he didn’t realize was there with the delicious scent of coconut in the air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, what about you?” she asks quietly, working her fingers between his dreads, “Can you sing?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If I say yes, do you promise not to ask me to sing right now?” Nicky replies, his voice heavy and sluggish, laced with the after effects of this new drug. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that’s not fair,” she says, her fingers raking up through his dreads gently. Nicky simply shrugs, his head leaning back into her hands as all his troubles melt away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn rolls her eyes but then suddenly a smile crosses her face, “Can I ask you something else instead then?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky’s lips pull up in a half smile. He should have known he wouldn’t get away that easily. He hums to himself, considering her request.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure,” he finally responds, curious as to what she wants to know anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What got you into music?” She asks, dragging her fingers across his scalp in a way that sends a shiver down his spine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She’s good at this.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Nicky doesn’t register her question for a moment, giving into the feeling of her hands on his head, rolling his neck to follow the tip of her fingers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leans down, nudging him with her knee before whispering in his ear, “Hey, I’ll stop if you can’t think straight and answer my question.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait, no,” he says, his eyes popping open as he tries to recall what she asked, distracted by the feel of her breath on his ear as goosebumps rise on the back of his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He bites his lip as he thinks, his mind wants to focus on relaxing into her hands. It takes him a moment, but then he chuckles, “Oh yeah… You’re gonna love this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He props up his legs, resting his elbows on each of his knees, “So there was this girl I had a crush on back in secondary school. But she liked this other guy because he would sing to her after school, right? Well, I could play piano and violin so I figured I might as well try to sing too.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn chuckles, her amusement bringing a smile to his lips, “So what did you do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I tried to sing to my mom first,” he says, making Robyn giggle out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, don’t judge me,” He replies, nudging her leg with a chuckle, “I was young and didn’t know who else to sing to. Besides, she was my number one fan.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Robyn replies, a smile in her voice, “It’s just well cute.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Nicky chuckles, “I’m glad you think so. I ended up in chorus because she did too. But hey, I figured if she loved it, then I could sing to this girl. But I had to be better than the other guy, right?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course,” Robyn replies, her hands still running through his dreads.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So I wrote a couple love songs for her,” Nicky continues, “I recorded myself singing them, burned it to a CD and gave it to her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s eyes go wide and she bursts out laughing, “No way, Nicky! What did she do?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky chuckles and shrugs, his shoulders bumping against the smooth skin of her legs, “You laugh but she was my girlfriend for like a week.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wraps her hands around his head and tilts him back so she could look into his eyes. She grins, “So it worked?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It worked,” Nicky confirms, returning her grin. He can’t help but enjoy seeing her eyes so bright and amused. Her playful spirit is a consistently deep and sweet part of his days, soothing a part of his soul he wasn’t aware of. A part he didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be aware of as long as Elladine was by his side. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” Robyn shakes her head and lets his head relax with a laugh before applying more oil to her hands, “So you’ve been making music to impress the ladies ever since, huh?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs, “No, I didn’t fall in love with the attention. I fell in love with making music. I learned how to play guitar and keyboard a year later because I craved more creative freedom. I even picked up the drums from my uncle.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nicky,” Robyn says his name matter of fact, her hands running back through his hair making him delirious, “You are so talented. How did I not know this?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not really a piano laying around the Villa, is it?” Nicky replies with a chuckle, closing his eyes once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hears her laugh, “I guess not, but still. I have to hear you play or sing or something.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe one day,” Nicky laughs, “If I feel like you can handle it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can literally feel her roll her eyes at him making him chuckle as she falls quiet once again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So do you, like, produce music on the side or do you just teach full time?” she asks eventually. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nah,” Nicky stretches his arms out and rests them over her legs instead, “I don’t really produce any of my own music. I just write songs for the hell of it sometimes. I might perform with some of my friends from time to time, but teaching is my full time gig.”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why don’t you put your own music out?” Robyn asks curiously, he can feel her playing with his dreads as she twists one between her fingers and moves onto the next.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I kinda got tired of chasing that dream,” Nicky admits with a sigh, “I don’t like the pressure that comes with trying to make it big. I like the freedom to go home when I’m ready.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn nods to herself as she begins to roll her fingers into the spot right above his ears, “Yeah, I understand that. I don’t know much about the music industry but I can imagine it can be stressful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” He responds, his shoulder sinking further into the floor as she works, “But hey, I found something I love more. I love teaching people how to find themselves in a melody. Kids, teenagers, adults. It doesn’t matter. I’m helping create the artists of a next generation. It’s my way of leaving an impact on the world.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow,” Robyn replies, her voice laced with wonder, “You have to be one of the dopest people I’ve ever met.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, peeking one eye open to glance up at her, “I know. Lucky you, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re so full of it, Nicky,” she shakes her head, turning his head back around as she laughs, “I swear I can’t compliment you at all.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, you can,” he responds, his voice dragging out the last word as her fingers rake over his scalp with added pressure. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>This shit felt phenomenal. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He was going to need a nap after this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them soon fall back into a comfortable silence until Robyn begins humming once again. Nicky smiles to himself, sighing in contentment as he’s pulled under by the sound of her voice and the feeling of her hands through his hair. Surrounded by the scent of coconut oil and jasmine perfume, vanilla adds another layer of sweetness as everything in his small world seems perfect, even if just for a few minutes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Moments later as he’s on the verge of falling asleep, she stops massaging his scalp and runs her hand through his dreads tugging them lightly to jolt him from the edge of his dreams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“All done,” she announces, squishing his shoulders between her legs as she grabs her towel and wipes her fingers clean. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky groans, resting his head against her stomach. His dreads tickle the skin exposed by her bikini and she lets out a little giggle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks up at her with a lazy smile, “Why stop now? I was just about to fall asleep.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” she chuckles, looking down at him with a smile, “But my hands are tired. Besides, is your bum not numb?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighs, </span>
  <em>
    <span>now that she said something</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky places his hands on the floor and scoots up as he goes to stand, stretching his arms above his head as he struggles to become fully awake once again. Once the blood is properly flowing through his body, he pulls back the chair he originally sat in, sitting down as he turns to face her with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks for the massage. That felt amazing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She offers him a small smile in return, “You’re welcome, Nicky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He casually crosses his arms over his chest as he relaxes against the back of his chair, “So how are things going with Camilo?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s eyes brighten up at the mention of his name, “Oh, Nicky,” she sighs dramatically with a hand over her forehead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky shakes his head, unknowingly forcing a smile to form on his lips, “So he’s a dream, innit?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs, “Something like that,” she turns back towards the vanity and picks up a lip gloss, twirling it in her hands, “No, but really. He’s great… It’s just I feel like I’ve been looking over my shoulder all week whenever he’s not around. Iona is always flirting with him and stuff. It’s like I can’t leave him alone for a second.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky frowns and shakes his head, “I’m sorry you have to put up with that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Robyn scrunches her nose, “But, like, I’m not really the jealous type and I feel like I can trust Camilo. It’s just aggravating.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky nods, “I get that. Have you and Iona chatted anymore?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn shakes her head, “Honestly? We’ve barely spoken a word to each other since I apologized to her,” she rolls her eyes, “Frankly, until she finds someone else, I think it’s better that way.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If that’s what you think,” Nicky says with a chuckle, “Wouldn’t want you girls to get into another food fight, trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn narrows her eyes at him, “Anywaaayy… How are you and Elladine doing?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky shrugs, a huge grin spreading across his face, “Smooth sailing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn smiles at him, chuckling at the look on his face, “That good, huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d say so,” Nicky replies with a chuckle of his own, “Ella’s gorgeous, she makes me laugh, I’m comfortable around her. What more could I want?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky’s doesn’t notice the way that Robyn’s smile falls ever so slightly as he talks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m happy for you,” she says, looking down as she opens the lip gloss in her hands, “It’s really cool to see you together. You’re both artists, two different art forms, but you’re artists nonetheless.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky’s head tilts as he considers it, “Yeah, it is pretty dope, isn’t it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Totally,” Robyn responds, it’s quiet for a moment as a strawberry aroma arises from the tube of lip gloss. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky watches the softness of her full lips as she applies the gloss, leaving a trail of sparkles that match the colors of a sunset on a clear evening. His mind is suddenly cluttered with thoughts curious about the lushness of her lips, wondering if they tasted as good as they look. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky lowers his eyes as his arms tighten around his body, embarrassed at the thoughts that seem to be continuously invading his mind whenever he’s around her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Unfiltered and uncalled for, he pushes them away every time as guilt claws its way into his mind to replace any romantic images of Robyn in his head. He does his best to replace them with images of Elladine and the idea of her lips against his instead, but he won’t acknowledge how they seem to fall flat every time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He just knows that Robyn isn’t for him. Easily convinced that there wasn’t any romance between them, they can settle on just having fun together. There isn’t any of the same chemistry he feels when he lays next Elladine at night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Besides, he and Robyn actually didn’t have that </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> in common. It was just easy for them to be open with each other. A connection to be partners in crime, but nothing more. They were both happily coupled up with people that were good for them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why mess that up when she’s already putting up with the drama to stay by Camilo’s side? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nicky, have you ever been in love?” Robyn asks suddenly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His brows furrow together as he looks back up at her, “Huh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blushes and twists the lip gloss closed, “Have you ever been in love?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He blinks in surprise and chuckles, “Yeah, I would say so.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was just thinking that if you write love songs,” Robyn replies, glancing at him curiously, “You might have a better idea of what love is than me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s necessarily true,” Nicky says, arching his brow at her, “There’s plenty of bad love songs out there and I’m sure I wrote a couple of them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She giggles, “Sure, but what about love makes you write love songs?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky adjusts in his seat, rubbing his arm as he considers her question, “I’d say it’s the emotions. On some level, everybody wants love and to be loved. We can’t hide the pain and joy that comes with that. So when we feel strongly about a person or a place or a thing, we want to express it. And when you love music like me, writing a song is a way to do that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, when was the last time you wrote a love song?” She asks, curiosity evident in her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I dunno…” Nicky frowns and runs his hand over his chest and shoulder, “I seriously can’t remember… Probably when I broke up with my ex. We were serious and well… Let’s just say that falling in love is the fun part. It’s the falling out of love after you’ve been hurt that can really mess you up. All love songs aren’t happy songs.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn frowns, “I know exactly what you mean,” she sighs, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up a bad memory for you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>NIcky smiles and shakes his head, “No. You’re good… It’s in the past. I learned from it. Besides I still believe in love, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be here, right? It’s Love Island. Where dreams come true.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn twitches her lip in doubt and begins to nibble on the end of her thumb nervously, “Yeah…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky looks at her curiously, “You don’t think so?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” Robyn shakes her head and laughs, “I mean yes… I think? I don’t know. I understand what you’re saying and I do believe it. But it’s easier said than done, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Nicky nods, “If falling in love with the right person was easy, everybody would do it. You have to give it time.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re right,” Robyn twiddles her thumbs together and sighs. Her insecurities had been getting the best of her mentality lately, worried that she was moving too fast with Camilo. She didn’t want to repeat the same mistake, but she couldn’t be certain what falling in love was really like anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought you and Camilo were doing great,” Nicky says with a frown, slightly confused, “I kind of feel like that isn’t the case now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn chuckles and looks up at him with a smile, “We are doing great. I just had some things on my mind.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like what’s love?” Nicky asks with a chuckle, “That’s a pretty deep question to have your mind.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughs, “More like ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It.’” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” he raises his eyebrows and laughs, “I see what you did there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn grins at him, “I would hope so. You </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>the music expert.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky shakes his head with a grin and leans forward to squeeze her arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You must understand</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” he sings to her, meeting her eyes. He graces the room with a timeless sound, a notable richness in his voice that makes Robyn’s eyes widen in surprise, the world stopping for a moment to listen.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh, the touch of your hand makes my pulse react,</span>
  </em>
  <span>” he continues, his hand running down her arm to hold her hand, her heart skipping a beat as his fingertips brush against her skin. Did he know what he was doing to her? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>That it’s only the thrill.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn is unable to resist as a smile plays on her lips as she listens to him sing the first verse of the song. Once he gets to the chorus, she allows herself to sing along with him. The two of them share a laugh after they sing it together, swaying to the classic tune.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See? You can sing,” Nicky says once they’re done, his smile melting into a smirk as he meets her eyes, “Sure, to be an all-star talent, you need range.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He arches a brow at her, “But I have a feeling you haven’t ventured into figuring that out.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, not really,” she admits, being taken by surprise as he takes her hand once again and pulls it to his lips. His eyes are full of mischief as he looks up at her through his lashes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky unexpectedly presses a gentle kiss to her hand, the velvety feel of his lips on her skin sends her heart into overdrive, “You just let me know if you ever want to explore it. I’m sure I can push you to your limits when you’re ready to sing for me.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He winks at her playfully as he drops her hand and Robyn blushes. He doesn’t realize how his occasional slick comments get her so flustered. She’s good at hiding it but she can’t help to briefly wonder what type of singing he’s actually referring to, knowing either way Camilo probably wouldn’t like it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Except it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>Nicky</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There’s never an underlying message in his words despite this effect that he shouldn’t have on her. He’s only being cheeky so she just shakes her head and laughs, pushing away the desire to ask exactly what those lessons consisted of. Deep down, hoping it meant spending more time with his lips on her skin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But on the surface, she recognizes that they’re drifting into dangerous territory. She opens her mouth to give him one of her usual snarky responses, but she’s stopped short as someone clears their throat from the doorway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pair turn to see Miki standing there, a sly smirk on her face as she arches her brow, “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” </span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Snake Bites</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Nicky pretends to gush as he finally sits up before stretching his arms wide, “Oh, stop it, trouble. You’re too sweet.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Robyn’s smile falls into a flat line as she turns to look at Nicky with narrowed eyes, “Call me trouble one more time and I’ll show you what real trouble is.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oop,” Nicky replies, arching his brow, “Is that another threat?”</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <span>Part I - A Different Type</span>
  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A couple of years ago, I wouldn’t know what to do with a guy like you,” Elladine tells him. She’s laying on her side next to Nicky in the bedroom, her cheek presses up against her fists as she looks at him with a grin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s true. She’s never been with a guy like Nicky before. He’s different to say the least. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Physically, he’s her type. She’s always ready to fall into bed with him at the end of the day, loving his strong hands and lean muscles. The way his body wraps around her curves is amazing. However, outside of that? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They’re both creative, but she feels unsure of his easy-going nature and dreamer mentality. A lot of their chats consist of ideas and possibilities she never cared to think about before. He has all of these ideas, but never seems to make a fuss about anything. Not to mention, she feels out of touch with some of his humor, not always catching his sarcasm. Yet, somehow he always catches the punchlines to her own jokes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her mother always told her that the worst thing you can do when you want your life in control is to settle with a dreamer. And well, Elladine works hard to keep her life in control. One can already tell that Nicky seems daring, willing to step out on ambition alone and that frightens her. She’s hoping for a long-term relationship, but she doubts that she’ll find one on Love Island now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>At least she can recognize what type of man he is now that she’s a couple years older.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“A guy like me?” Nicky chuckles, wondering exactly what provokes her to think that way. His fingers are linked behind his head as his eyes drift from the ceiling to meet hers, “What kind of guy am I?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine giggles, attempting to hide her lack of interest, “You’re like… So bold and funny. And relaxed, like, all the time. You make me feel like I’m high-strung.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not high-strung,” he replies, rolling onto his side to match her pose, “You just know your mind really well. You know what you want and how to get it done.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” She agrees thoughtfully, “It’s just if I see something that needs to be done, I’ll do it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And I admire that about you,” he says, making her smile. He has a weakness for women who know how to fall through and execute. It’s an area he lacks from time to time, preferring to sway back and forth with the breeze. He’s old enough to be aware that sometimes he needs someone to pull him one way or another. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You know maybe that’s a good thing,” She says, secretly desperate to cling onto something that forces their puzzle pieces together. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” He arches a brow at her and chuckles, “It’s a good thing I admire you? I’d say so since we’re coupled up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, that’s not what I meant,” she says and then pauses as her cheeks turn pink, “Wait! No! I mean yes… Like of course, that’s a good thing. But I mean since you’re all relaxed and I can be a little bossy, we’ll balance each other out.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah,” Nicky nods, smiling as he enjoys the cuteness of her blush, “I wouldn’t say you’re bossy, but they do say opposites attract.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she agrees with a smile, “I’m really glad that we’re together. I know I’m taking things kind of slow, but…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” Nicky interrupts her, rubbing her arm affectionately, “No pressure, you move at your own pace.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, babe,” She sighs happily, her fingers playing in her hair as she leans down onto her pillow, “I really like that we can be so comfortable with each other. I feel like you get me.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Nicky says, rolling back onto his back as he looks up to the ceiling, “We can be ourselves around each other.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Being with Elladine is like falling into a synchronized route of Sunday morning lay-ins and midday cuddles. An easy woman to eventually fall in love with, she radiates positivity and serenity. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Elladine replies, her green eyes sparkling as her eyes drift over him, “I’m just really surprised by how much I like you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He laughs, his eyebrows arching in surprise, “Did I have a bad first impression or…?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Elladine bites her lip, blushing, “It’s just I thought that you would be too cool for a girl like me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Too cool?” He repeats in surprise, turning back over to face her, “For a girl like you? Elladine, you’re the most amazing woman here. You didn’t see my face when you picked me? You were there, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When she stepped out of the Villa that day, he was immediately smitten and fully prepared to commit, shocked that a woman completely his type came through those doors. Green eyes like gems and a body to die for, he laid on the charm and was pleasantly rewarded to be chosen as her partner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He can admit that the sight of Robyn shook his resolve for a split second. He wasn’t expecting a new girl to have a body with edges that blur together like melted butter and a personality to match. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But he knows trouble when he sees it. His friend is a pretty little thing but he’d much rather grab his popcorn then be the center of the drama she stirs up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It’s funny how he thinks that way because only a week later, he’s always on the sidelines of her drama, ready to jump in if she calls; at least he knows how to put on fires. Apparently, both Robyn and Elladine tend to start them, just in different places. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine laughs, scooting closer to him, “Yeah, but I was so nervous.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky chuckles, reaching over to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, “Would you believe me if I said I was too?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her blush deepens, “Probably not.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He laughs, pulling her in for a cuddle, lavender body wash filling his senses, “Why not?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugs and snuggles into his chest, “You’re, like, so confident. And everybody in the Villa likes you already.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Everybody?” He pulls back and looks at her, his eyebrows arched, “I don’t know where you got that from.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To her, it’s obvious that Nicky is becoming the villa’s counselor and confidant so she laughs, “You’re literally the smoothest guy here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You know,” he grins, “I haven’t heard that before, but I’ll take it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She giggles, her arms coming to wrap around his neck as they snuggle closer together under the duvet. Their bodies pressed against each other, Nicky looks down at Elladine and smiles. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She glances up at him, “What are you looking at?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You,” he chuckles, his hand comes up to cup her cheek, “I have a question.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She blushes, her eyes flickering down to his lips, “What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Can I have a kiss?” he asks quietly, under the assumption that they have the same idea. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine doesn’t answer. Instead, she leans in close to him, his breath hitches as she stops right before their lips meet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She meets his eyes and giggles, “No.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky laughs and nods his head, “Okay then... That’s fine, babe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rejection didn’t bother him, but that doesn’t mean it’s encouraging. He has no idea when this woman is going to let him kiss her after all the cuddling, holding, and squeezing going on between them. It’s a game that teases and entices him, but he’s a patient man. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She blushes, hoping she isn’t giving him the wrong impression as she laughs along with him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s just if I give you a kiss now,” she says, “I know exactly how this will go. I’m afraid my self-control won’t show any restraint.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Because did she want to kiss him? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>y</span>
  <em>
    <span>es</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But she isn’t sure enough about their relationship to get physical now. One kiss and she might fall in love overnight again. And what if he’s the wrong man?   </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t think you give yourself enough credit,” he says, settling to snuggle her closer to him, “You’re a strong woman.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, so you have this effect often?” she arches a brow at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What effect?” He chuckles, unsure of what she means.</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You really don’t know how you have my heart going crazy right now,” Elladine admits, biting her lip.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” he meets her eyes, he would have never guessed, “I’d like to think that the feeling is mutual. You’re pretty hard to resist.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Down, boy,” Elladine giggles.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ha,” Nicky laughs again, shaking his head. Was he really coming on that strong?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He takes her hand and places it over his chest, her touch lighting a fire over his heart, “I’m serious though. My heart is racing just from being next to you,” he grins, “Maybe it’s actually better if we held off on that kiss. Not sure my heart could take it.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re so sure you’ll get one eventually,” she smirks at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m holding out on some hope that I will,” Nicky replies with a grin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Elladine responds with a blush, “I guess we’ll have to see now, won’t we?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m cool with that,” he says, relaxing against the pillow, “I’d never force anything on you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles, “Yeah, I know… That’s why I feel like I can trust you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky returns her smile and the two of them continue to lay side by side. Ellaline eventually drifts off into a light slumber snuggled in Nicky’s arms as he lightly strokes her back. He soon follows behind her, his eyes drifting shut until someone bounces onto the edge of their bed out of the blue. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine bolts up out of his arms in a hurry, frightened out of her sleep. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky simply sighs before peeking his eyes open to find Robyn sitting on the end of their bed, giggling as she smirks at them. He can’t help but roll his eyes, fighting off a grin at the sight of her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He supposes this was payback for the whole bathroom thing. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Elladine says with a huff, running a hand through her hair as she calms down, “We were taking a nap.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I see that,” Robyn says with a chuckle, “But it’s the middle of the day, lovebirds. No time for a nap because Camilo got a text!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh!” Elladine says excitedly, moving to climb out of bed immediately. She nudges Nicky to sit up before turning back to Robyn, “We’re coming! Thanks for coming to get us, hun.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course,” Robyn says with a smile, “How could I forget my favorite couple?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine blushes. Robyn is incredibly kind to her and the two girls have become close over the past week. Robyn is fascinated by Elladine’s artisan lifestyle and Elladine’s in love with Robyn’s warmth and practicality.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky pretends to gush as he finally sits up before stretching his arms wide, “Oh, stop it, trouble. You’re too sweet.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn’s smile falls into a playful flat line as she turns to look at Nicky with narrowed eyes, “Call me trouble one more time and I’ll show you what real trouble is.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oop,” Nicky replies, arching his brow, “Is that </span>
  <em>
    <span>another</span>
  </em>
  <span> threat?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn shrugs, fighting off a grin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Someone’s feeling feisty,” Nicky turns to Elladine with a frown, “Babe, I need you to defend me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Um, no,” Elladine says with a laugh, straightening her swimsuit, “We need to get going. You’re on your own, babes.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky sighs and climbs out of bed. He pauses by Robyn, looking her up and down, “That’s fine. She’d be lightweight anyway.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Robyn’s eyes go wide. She grins, crossing her arms over her chest as she steps up from the bed, looking him dead in the eyes, “Oh, I’m lightweight?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky shakes his head and laughs. He smirks before closing the gap between them, “Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>trouble</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” He replies, looking down at her, their faces inches apart, “Light. Weight.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, okay,” Elladine rolls her eyes, stepping between them as a warning bell goes off in her head, “We don’t need anymore fighting. We need to head to the lawn.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She tries to convince herself that she isn’t jealous over how close the two of them are with each other as she grabs Nicky by the hand and pulls him along. Nicky doesn’t fight back and follows in line behind her, looking at Robyn over his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re lucky my girl is holding me back,” He says to Robyn with a smirk. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oooh,” she rolls her eyes as she falls in line behind them, “I’m so </span>
  <em>
    <span>scared</span>
  </em>
  <span>. You’re the one who’s lucky. Camilo has been teaching me some of his moves so I’m just dying for a reason to show off what I’ve learned.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I guess that accounts for all this aggression,” Nicky laughs, “You need to learn how to meditate so you can chill instead.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Please go easy on him, Robyn,” Elladine can’t help but laughs as they descend the staircase.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll do my best,” Robyn replies with a chuckle, “But your man keeps pressing my buttons.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” Nicky frowns, looking at Elladine, “Are you saying you’d bet on Robyn over me?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine glances at him and grins, “Not at all, babe.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She winks at Robyn, making her laugh as they make their way out of the Villa. The other islanders are already surrounding Camilo in the gym as he prepares to read the text.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone here?” Camilo asks, looking around the group as they approach. His eyes fix on Robyn and he smiles like she’s really the only one who matters. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think we’re all present and accounted for,” She replies, her cheeks turning rosey under his gaze. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Great,” Camilo replies before sharing a grin with the group, “Wait till you hear this.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Islanders, tonight is a recoupling. The boys will be picking who they want to couple up with. Please get ready and gather round the firepit. #gentlemenschoice</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Harry pumps his fist excitedly as Camilo holds his hand up for a high-five from Bill. Nicky and Seb share a little happy dance together, using their shoulders to sway from one side to the other.  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, get in!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girls put on a brave face but exchange nervous glances between them as the guys cheer. Their choices seem pretty straight forward on the surface until another ping rings out from Iona’s phone. She snaps her fingers at the boys, bringing their attention to her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hold up,” Iona says, a smirk spread across her face as she holds up a finger at them, “That’s not all.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Iona, as the only single islander you also will be choosing in tonight’s recoupling. You will be picking first. #firstcomesfirstserve #ladiesfirst </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine and Genevieve gasps as Nicky’s eyes go wide. The smile drops from Camilo’s face as he looks at Robyn in mild-panic. All of the islanders can’t help but to glance over to judge Robyn’s expression.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her eyes blink rapidly in disbelief as she swallows nervously. She meets Camilo’s eyes, trying not to hyperventilate right here on the lawn in front of everyone as Iona’s lips lift into a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Could this be over already</span>
  </em>
  <span>? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nicky, what am I going to do?” Robyn whispers frantically as she paces back and forth on the roof terrace. Her arms are crossed over her chests as she nibbles on the end of her thumb anxiously. She’s dressed for the recoupling in a silky mauve dress. Her curves well on display as she walks, her heels clicking against the rooftop floor with every step. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“First,” Nicky says, catching her by the arm to stop her mindlessly pacing. He stops her in front of him, forcing her to face him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He squeezes her biceps gently as the tranquility in his eyes calms the storm in hers, “You need to calm down. It’s alright.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But it’s not alright,” She frowns as he pulls her down to sit beside him. He squeezes her shoulder as she sighs, an attempt to soothe her restlessness.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s going to pick him,” she says, looking out over the Villa as her fingers twiddle nervously. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighs and covers her hands with his to stop her nervous gitter, “You don’t know that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Who else would she choose?” Robyn says, turning to face him. The doubt written all over her face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky’s lips press into a fine line and she knows she’s right. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Speechless for once, huh?” She says with a half-hearted laugh, shaking her head.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He frowns, feeling helpless as she drifts further into despair, her nervous energy taking over the space between them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t believe I could be going home today,” she continues, gently wiping mascara from the corner of her teary eye, “I mean I just met Camilo and you and Viv and everybody else.”  </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not going home,” He blurts out, looking down at their hands together. He doesn’t know what else to say.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She squeezes his hands as she chuckles sadly, “You don’t know that.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky glances up at her, conflicted as he looks into her pretty brown eyes. He doesn’t want her to go. He wants to keep her in the Villa. All ideas of spending time with her this summer fly through his mind. Spanish hillside views, cool summer breezes, and picture perfect sunsets will all be dull without her energy in the Villa. The days will blur together and become ordinary. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But there’s nothing he can do for her tonight that can guarantee her safety. He didn’t want to admit it. He wouldn’t dare say it out loud, but he has doubts that they would keep a single girl in the Villa two weeks in a row. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And Robyn is special to him. He just can’t imagine himself falling in love with her or acknowledge any desire to kiss her lips. He just knows that he wants her near him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And then there’s Elladine. Her green eyes and thick thighs tighten the words in his throat, making him unable to blurt out what he could say. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll couple up with you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn’t actually do it… Could he? If he did, he’d put Elladine in the same danger Robyn is potentially in now. He’s caught in the middle because they’re his favorite girls. But Elladine is a chance for romance while Robyn? She’d be back in Camilo’s arms by the end of the week. And where will that leave him? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But if he tests the waters… If nothing else, it’ll give her something else to concern her mind with. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What if I pick you?” He utters out the words quickly before the coward in him snatches them out of his mouth.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn’s eyelashes flutter as she stares at him in confusion. All of her nervous energy slowly fades away as she sits in shock. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But what about Elladine, Nicky?” She says with a frown, “I can’t let you let go of her just to keep me in the Villa.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He frowns, rubbing his fingers against his temple, “It’s just how am I supposed to sleep peacefully at night without knowing you’ll be the last person left in bed? I don’t want to take on that title. I don’t want to be known as the lazy one”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn resists the urge to laugh and swats his arm making him chuckle, “Really, Nicky?! That’s not the point!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles at him, shaking her head. The appreciation evident in her eyes, “Thank you. But no. This isn’t Friendship Island. You really like Elladine. I won’t let you throw that away.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>But I really like you too.</span>
  </em>
  <span> His heart whispers the words to his mind, but he won’t register them. He won’t say those words out loud, knowing that they didn’t matter anyway. He’d never entertain an impossible idea.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighs, “But Robyn… Look, you’re important to me. What am I supposed to do if you walk out that door tonight?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Get laid?” She responds like ‘duh’. He shakes his head and tries not to laugh. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This girl is ridiculous.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Not a bad idea, but no,” He says, looking at her with a sad smile, “I’d be devastated. I’m trying to be real with you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know,” she says with a chuckle, her hands running through her locs, “I’m sorry. I know you are. But I’m being real with you too. Don’t pick me tonight. We’ll be friends no matter what. Regardless if we’re in the Villa or not. I’ll be cheering you on outside.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Robyn,” he interrupts her, “There’s no point in saying goodbye if you don’t even know if you’re leaving.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pokes her bottom lip at him and sighs, “I guess you’re right…” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look,” he says, placing his hands on her shoulder and forcing her to look into his eyes, “Stop thinking about the worst case scenario. You don’t know what could happen. What if you stay? You and Camilo can work things out and be back together by the end of next week.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her lips twitch up in a half-smile, “Yeah, we could...”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Dreams come true here,” Nicky reminds her, “Falling in love with the right person isn’t easy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She nods as she remembers what he told her before, “If falling in love with the right person was easy —”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Everybody would do it,” they say together. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He smiles at her, “Exactly. This could be just another bump in the road. I’m pretty sure Camilo still wants </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Even if Iona picks him, it won’t matter. Hold your head up, trouble. I have a feeling you aren’t going home yet.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She smiles at him and nods. He rubs his thumbs into her shoulders, melting away the tension in her muscles until he’s certain that she’s calm and encouraged.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn reaches over and pulls him into a hug, losing herself in the comforting scent of his cologne, clean and crisp with hints of amber. He places a kiss on the top of her head as he wraps his arms around her. They stay like this for a few moments, absorbing as much of each other as they can. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Just in case he’s wrong.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nicky,” she says, looking back up at him, “Why do you keep calling me trouble?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Because that’s what you are to me,” he replies with a grin, tapping a finger under her chin as he pulls away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She chuckles and rolls her eyes, “Like your sister, huh?”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Um,” he glances away, “I wouldn’t say that.... You’re a different type of trouble for me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” She replies with a laugh, “I can only imagine.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he laughs ironically, “Me too.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” she replies with narrowed eyes, “That doesn’t make any sense.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She doesn’t know the way she makes his mind wonder about the impossible or the way she can make him indecisive about straight forward decisions, but he plans to keep it that way. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It makes sense to me,” He grins at her, “That’s all that matters.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She rolls her eyes before giving him a smile, “Anyway, thank you for the chat… It means a lot.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome,” he replies, hoping her mind is more at peace, “We should head inside. We’re going to get that text any minute now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn closes her eyes, taking a deep breath before she stands, “Yeah, I need to find Camilo.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span class="u">Part II - The Possibilities </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo takes a deep breath before knocking on the door of the girls’ dressing room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on it!’’</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The overpowering smell of mixed perfumes stops him in the doorway as he pushes the door open. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The girls are all dressed, but still in various stages of preparing for the evening’s recoupling; however, Robyn is nowhere to be soon.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But he’s not here to find her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona’s standing in the mirror, touching up her lipstick as she glances over and meets the reflection of his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A slow smile crosses her face and she leans away from her reflection, popping her lipstick tube closed as she turns to face him, “Hey, handsome. Anything we can do for you?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Need some lippy?” She chuckles, waving her lipstick at him with a wink, “It tastes like candy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo clears his throat, glancing at the girls as they pause and await his answer. Genevieve arches her brow at him and he turns his attention back to Iona, rubbing the back of his neck, “Umm.. no, but can we have a chat before everything kicks off?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, of course,” Iona smiles, tossing her lipstick onto the vanity, “Anything for you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Roof terrace?” He asks, already preparing to step into the room to head towards the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Um,” Elladine says, making him pause, “Nicky and Robyn are out there. He’s trying to.. um..” she glances at Iona and bites her lip, “They’re just… um… Having a chat.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The truth is, Robyn is a ball of nervous energy and Nicky’s the only person capable of actually calming her down, but she doesn’t want to admit that Iona is getting under Robyn’s skin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Camilo sighs. Of course, he should have known that she’d need to chat with Nicky. Maybe he’d keep her safe? It’s doubtful, seeing how strong he and Elladine are together but, Camilo could hope. If it comes down to it, seeing Robyn with another guy in a friendship couple would be better than seeing her gone. He turns to face Iona again, “Well, how about the lounge then?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s go,” Iona smiles. He holds the door open for her as she walks past him and they exit the dressing room. Bill and Harry offer him an encouraging smile as the two of them make their way out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the lounge. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Camilo says as they both sit onto the sofa. He drags his hands over his face before clapping them together in front of him. He bites the corner of his lip and looks up at Iona, “You know… I just wanted to chat about the recoupling. Since you’re going first and everything.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” Iona purrs, crossing her legs as she looks at him expectedly, “Go on.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Camilo scratches his ear, “Where’s your head at? Do you know who you’re picking?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona smirks, running her tongue over her lip, “Well… I might have some idea,” she shrugs the possibilities, “But I was thinking that I might just go with my gut at the firepit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighs, blowing out a deep breath between his lips, “Okay. I get that… So I’m not about to tell you this because I’m assuming you’re going to pick me but,” he meets her eyes, “Since we were coupled up before, I wanted to make it clear that I fully intended to couple up with Robyn tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona frowns and avoids his eyes, tapping her nails on her knee, “Okay…I get that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pauses before meeting his eyes again, “But honestly? There’s no one else I’m interested in right now. Like I have to pick someone and I have to go with my heart. I’m making this decision based on who I get along with the most.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo shakes his head, opening his mouth to speak but Iona cuts him off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Before you say anything,” she says, gesturing vaguely between them, “Just think about it. We didn’t even get to spend that much time together before she stole you for me. I just want another chance to get to know you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ve been getting to know each other this week,” he replies, gritting his teeth, “As mates, because that’s what I want us to be.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And what if I want us to be more?” Iona snaps, rolling her eyes, “I get that you like her, I really do, but I’m not making this decision out of the blue. You really think she’s only got eyes for you, but she and Nicky have been grafting on each other.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo scoffs, sitting up in disbelief, “What?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona sighs, “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this but Miki caught them alone with each other in the dressing room.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona’s obviously just finding a way to justify her decision tonight, making him doubt Robyn’s loyalty so he just rolls his eyes, “Doing what?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She shrugs, looking down at her feet, “She didn’t say actually, but they were definitely grafting.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Robyn wouldn’t do that to me,” he shoots back, furrowing his brows together, “They’re just friends. I can see why Miki might have </span>
  <em>
    <span>thought </span>
  </em>
  <span>she saw them grafting, but Robyn is loyal.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sure, when you’re around,” Iona replies, glancing up at him, “You don’t know what she says or does when you’re not there.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And you do?” He replies, narrowing his eyes at her. But a little piece of him pauses to ponder over the possibilities. She and Nicky have been together quite often. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona sighs, “Look, Camilo. I want to pick you tonight and I just think that you should keep your options open. She obviously is, even if you don’t believe me. The fact is that I’m here and you’re the only man I want to take a chance on right now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She takes a deep breath and meets his eyes, her gaze piercing, “But if you like her so much and you don’t think that something can happen between us, then you walk right out that door after her tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And with that, Iona stands, not giving him the opportunity to respond as she adjusts her dress before strunting out the room. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo waits until she’s out of the room and groans, his head in his hands as he tries to figure out what he can do to keep Robyn safe. But, unless Nicky is willing to couple up with her as friends, nothing comes to mind. Everyone else had their own loyalties. And what if she’s forced to leave the Villa? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Thanks to Iona, he really has to ask himself if he’d really be willing to leave with Robyn and the answer is no. He cares about her, knows that they could grow into something serious but does he really want to give up this experience on possibilities? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Camilo?” He lifts his head to find Robyn gazing at him from the hallway, her brows crease in a worried expression as she approaches. She places her hand on his shoulder as she sits beside him with a small smile, “Are you alright? You look stressed.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He smiles, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close, “I’m alright,” he kisses the top of her head, “Just thinking about the recoupling.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She chuckles, “Yeah… I’m a little stressed out too,” she bites her lip, “Did you talk to her?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighs and squeezes her hip, “Yeah… It didn’t go so hot, chica.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She nods her head as if she expected that, “What did you tell her?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He pulls her closer, nuzzing into her neck. Her perfume is sweet and comforting, “I told her I want to pick you tonight.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pulls away, taking him by the chin and forcing him to meet her gaze, “And what did she say?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He frowns, wanting to avoid her eyes. He doesn’t want to cause her any unnecessary anxiety, knowing that she’s already worried enough. He finally gathers the right words, but as he goes to speak, AJ comes rushing down the steps. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s time for the recoupling!” She tells them, trying to offer them a cheerful smile, “Time to go to head to the fire pit.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn and Camilo exchange a glance between them before standing and following AJ outside as the other islanders begin to descend the staircase and make their way outside. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The atmosphere is uneasy as the guys and Iona all take their seats. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn chews on her lip nervously as she lines up with the other girls. Camilo meets her eyes and offers her a smile and she returns it sadly. He can tell by the look in her eyes she’s expecting the worst and it’s killing him. But he’s powerless if Iona picks him tonight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Genevieve reaches over and takes Robyn’s hand, giving it a comforting squeeze as the girls exchange a knowing glance. Everyone seems a bit on edge tonight as they’re all waiting for the moment that Iona’s phone rings. Even Nicky, who’s normally calm and collected is bouncing his leg nervously. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And not a moment too soon, the signature sound rings out from her phone. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona takes a deep breath and smiles before standing to her feet. She strides to the front of the fire pit, holding her phone to her chest. She grins at Robyn as she turns on her heels to look at the boys. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo avoids her eyes as they land on him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to be in this position,” she starts and Robyn can’t help but to roll her eyes. Genevieve gives her hand another squeeze and she sighs, knowing she needs to hold it together.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Afterall,” Iona continues, glancing over her shoulder at Robyn will a smirk, “Someone told me that this is one of the best positions to be in and I have to say she was right.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn clenches her fists, shaking her head as she glances away. She bites her tongue, knowing Iona is being unbelievably petty. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So I’m going to take this opportunity to couple up with a boy who I have really come to know as a good mate this past week and I’m hoping that, maybe, once we actually get to spend more time together as a couple, he’ll realize how great we can be.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona takes a deep breath before looking around the fire pit, “So… the boy I want to couple up with is... “</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pauses. Robyn grits her teeth, her body nearly shaking with anger. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You can hear the smirk in Iona’s voice, “Camilo.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine gasps and the other islanders glance at Robyn apologetically as Genevieve wraps an arm around her shoulder. Robyn avoids their eyes, looking down at her black heels. It’s hard enough having Camilo taken away, it’s even worse to be pitied for it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The awkward silence is deafening as Camilo reluctantly gets to his feet and goes to stand beside Iona. He avoids her eyes and doesn’t take her hand when she offers it. Iona huffs and rolls her eyes before the new couple takes their seats. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo keeps the space between the two of them apparent and sits with his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes stay on Robyn and she can only offer him another sad smile now. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Iona refuses to look at Robyn, realizing that just because she and Camilo are an official couple now, that doesn’t mean he’s going to welcome her with open arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky frowns as his phone goes off next. He looks down at the phone in his hand and takes a deep breath before he stands. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Looks like it’s my turn,” he says before he swallows, his eyes shifting between the girls before they land on Robyn. She meets his eyes and gives him an encouraging smile, her eyes shifting back and forth between him and Elladine. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckles and shakes his head. This was going to be so much harder than he imagined. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay,” he says, glancing at Elladine who smiles nervously, “I… I’ve been proper thinking about this all day,’ he pauses, running his tongue over his lip, “Cause I don’t want to make this choice for the wrong reasons.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Elladine’s smile drops ever so slightly, suddenly unsure by Nicky’s words. Her mind analyzes every instance and moment when he was with Robyn instead of her. Did she miscalculate? Would he hesitate if Robyn really is just a friend? Should she have let him kiss her today? Would that make his decision easier? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See,” Nicky takes a deep breath and continues, rubbing his hands together nervously as he talks, “At first I was thinking, it’d be too easy to just choose this girl because I’m in my comfort zone with her. But…”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He glances back towards Robyn who gives him a warning look and slightly nods her towards Elladine. She knows he’s conflicted because they’re friends, but she wants him to be happy and if he doesn’t choose Elladine, she’s afraid he’ll always regret that decision. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But would he really? Nicky frowns and his eyes drift between the two girls. Intuition pulling him in one direction, reminding him he will probably never get this opportunity again. Robyn doesn’t want him to choose her, thinking that he’s simply letting go of Elladine to protect her; letting go of a real opportunity at love. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But… Robyn doesn’t understand. Honestly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>doesn’t understand why this is so hard. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky takes a moment to remind himself to choose what’s most important to him and go after it, his eyes unintentionally resting on Robyn as he bites his lip. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Camilo watches their interactions intently, fearing the worst. Nicky’s obvious indecisiveness eats away at his consciousness as Iona’s warning sneaks up in the back of his mind. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>You don’t know what she says or does when you’re not there.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Robyn obviously did something to make Nicky think twice about his decision. Could she be signalling Nicky not to pick her just to look innocent? Camilo glances away, knowing he could easily look like a fool tonight. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Nicky tries to hide a sigh before he finally continues, “But… Then I realized that’s actually exactly what I like about her. And I know that my time in the Villa would be dull without her… When I’m with her, I can be myself. We have fun together.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He takes a deep breath, his eyes darting between the girls, “So that’s why the girl I want to couple up with is…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Actions Speak Louder</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Robyn frowns as he goes to walk away, before she sighs and grabs his arm, “You can’t just say something like that and walk away. That’s… not fair.” </p><p>“Not fair?” He arches his brow at her and chuckles, “Life isn’t fair, trouble.” </p><p>She rolls her eyes, standing up to wrap him in a hug, “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best to make it better,” she sighs as she snuggles into his chest, his arms engulfing her warmly as he lets out a chuckle. </p><p>This girl was two seconds from biting his head off just a moment ago and now she wants a cuddle. Not that he’s necessarily going to complain about her change in attitude.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Part I - The Bad Guy</strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky takes a deep breath, his eyes darting between the girls, “So that’s why the girl I want to couple up with is…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He bites his lip, swallowing back the uncertainty as her name leaves his lips, almost like an accident he sees coming, but doesn’t have the time to dodge.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Robyn.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There are gasps heard from around the firepit as Robyn’s eyes go wide in shock, her hands flying up to cover her mouth before she turns to look at Elladine in disbelief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She can’t believe that Nicky just chose to save her over Elladine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine’s mouth drops as she looks at Nicky in shock, tears are already threatening to overflow and Nicky can’t bare to look her in the eyes. A week in and the fact that he just put her in danger is breaking his heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Elladine, I-,” Nicky takes a step towards her, unsure of what to say exactly. He actually can’t believe he just made this decision himself. After all of this talk of this not being Friendship Island, he’s unsure of why Robyn’s name was the one that fell from his lips. There’s no logical way to explain it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine backs away, feeling betrayed by the newly formed couple. It’s clear to her now where she actually stands compared to Robyn in his eyes. She should have intervened; should have never trusted them to be alone on the roof terrace. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What did Robyn say to him to turn his head so quickly? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>AJ takes Elladine’s hand and gives it a squeeze as Nicky stares dumbfounded, unsure if he already regrets his decision as Robyn finally takes a step towards him, shaking her head in disappointment as she takes him by the hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulls him along with her to the bench as they take their new seats next to each other. Nicky seats with his face in his hand, his elbow resting on his knee. He’s unable to take his eyes off Elladine as his leg bounces nervously. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What the hell was he thinking? He just threw away their relationship without any warning, without any explanation. You could tell by the tears on her cheeks that Elladine’s been blindsided because she trusted him. Now, she feels stupid seeing him next to Robyn when she should have been in her place. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The whole time these thoughts are running through their heads, Camilo sits back, looking at Robyn with an unreadable expression as her hand comes to rest on Nicky’s shoulder. She looks disappointed and worried as her eyes meet him from across the two people filling the space between them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo bites his lip, glancing away because he doesn’t know what to think of the situation. Nicky didn’t say he only saw Robyn as a friend in his speech. He didn’t say he was doing this just to save her, putting her chance for love above his own. If he did, Camilo could rest easy tonight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he didn’t. Was this a plot to turn her head? Was Robyn really as surprised as she seemed? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone will be leaving this recoupling tonight with more questions than answers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the recoupling pasts in a blur; Seb chooses Aj, Bill chooses Miki, and Harry chooses Viv. Elladine is left standing alone as Genevieve and Harry exchange a brief hug before taking their seats. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s time for the moment of truth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine wipes her eyes, biting her lip nervously as a text rings out from her phone. She closes her eyes before picking it up to read the contents of the message. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky’s fingers interlock together, looking as if he’s sending up a silent prayer as his knuckles turn pale. Guilt is already slashing through his heart that Elladine doesn’t deserve to go home simply because he made a last-minute decision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Elladine, you are now the only islander left in the Villa without a partner.</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her eyes go wide as the next message rings through her phone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>But don’t pack your bags just yet! #heretostay</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What? I get to stay?!” Elladine gasps, her hands cover her mouth as Miki and Genevieve walk up and wrap her in their arms. Robyn goes to join them, but she hesitates as she stands before deciding to sit back down beside Nicky. She’s unsure of where she and Elladine now stand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Are they even still friends? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, Nicky lets out a tight breath of relief until the situation hits him like a freight train. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He just chose to save Robyn for nothing. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Fuck. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With eyes looking out the lawn, Nicky’s fingers drum against the counter top as he sits with his hand under his chin. Elladine is sitting on a lounger by the pool, Genevieve and Miki nodding their heads and comforting her as she talks. Their eyes meet briefly and her frown deepens as she turns away from him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky internally groans, dragging his hand over his face as he looks away, his eyes glued to nothing in particular as he quietly allows the disappointment in himself to take over his mind.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His new partner is standing quietly at the kitchen sink, filling the kettle with water. Robyn glances towards him with a worried expression before she sits the kettle on the stove. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” She asks quietly, her eyes drifting over his downhearted expression as she takes the stool beside him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky looks up, his eyes focusing on her as he forces a grin, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Alright</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I’m fabulous. I guess I just broke up with Elladine so there’s that, but otherwise I’m doing great.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s lips twitch upward, “Well, I don’t want to say I told you so, but…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You told me so,” he rolls his eyes, shaking his head with a chuckle, “Robyn… I don’t really need to hear that right now.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm,” she nods her head, tapping her chin, “Yeah, I guess not. I mean I wouldn’t really want to hear that I completely ignored my best friend and now I have to face the consequences of my actions. I’m sure it’s a sucky place to be, but that’s life, innit?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He narrows his eyes at her, opening his mouth to speak before shutting it again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was she really about to go there? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn arches her brow at him, waving her hand between them as she’s waiting for him to respond. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Yeah. She wanted to go there.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s really what you have to say to me right now?” Nicky finally responds with a frown, “I make a last minute decision to save </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, break up with Elladine and that’s what you have to say? Not even a </span>
  <em>
    <span>thanks, Nicky, I appreciate what you tried to do for me back there</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn’s eyes widen with every word, her arms coming to cross over her chest as she looks at Nicky in disbelief. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He continues, shaking his head as he rolls his eyes, “No. The first thing you say is </span>
  <em>
    <span>wow, Nicky</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was such a prick move</span>
  </em>
  <span> like I didn’t already know that.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn runs her tongue over upper lip as she tries not to crackle to cover up her bubbling anger, “Excuse me?! I never asked you to quote on quote save me. Now did I?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It doesn’t matter what you asked me to do,” Nicky snaps, Robyn leans back taken off guard by his tone of voice, her eyebrows raised, “That’s not your call to make.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then whose is it?” She replies, her brows furrowing together, “Because the Nicky I know would take into consideration what I asked him to do. What was the point of even asking me if you were going to do what you wanted to do anyway?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky sighs, sucking his teeth to keep from saying something he’d regret. He recognizes that the two of them are three seconds away from falling into a messy argument. He didn’t want to fight with Robyn. That’s the last thing he wanted to do tonight. He understood that emotions were running high, even his own. But that didn’t give him an excuse to take it out on her when they’re both dealing with shitty situations. Iona stole Camilo from her and he made an irrational decision that would probably haunt him from the rest of his time in the Villa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that he necessarily regrets it, but he feels as if he should have made a different decision because now he has a lot of explaining to do. Not only to Elladine, but eventually to Camilo too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before standing from his stool. Robyn frowns, looking at him in confusion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Where are you going?” She barks, aggravation still evident in her voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I need to cool off,” He replies simply, his tone softer as he looks at her, hoping the apologetic smile on his lips will show he means no harm, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>We</span>
  </em>
  <span> need to cool off.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She blinks in surprise, taken off guard by his sudden change in attitude as he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go ahead and apologize for saying that. For this whole situation. I didn’t mean for this to get out of hand,” he frowns, meeting her eyes, “I know you can handle yourself, Robyn… It’s just the Nicky I know would do what it takes to protect his closest friends. And that means you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn frowns as he goes to walk away, before she sighs and grabs his arm, “You can’t just say something like that and walk away. That’s… not fair.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not fair?” He arches his brow at her and chuckles, “Life isn’t fair, trouble.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She rolls her eyes, standing up to wrap him in a hug, “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try our best to make it better,” she sighs as she snuggles into his chest, his arms engulfing her warmly as he lets out a chuckle. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This girl was two seconds from biting his head off just a moment ago and now she wants a cuddle. Not that he’s necessarily going to complain about her change in attitude. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry too,” Robyn sighs, her voice muffled as her cheek rests on his chest, “I’m just… upset with you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky pulls back to look down at her, a smirk edged onto his face, “You’re… upset with me?” He makes a point to look around them as they’re still wrapped up in a tight hug, “You know… I couldn’t really tell.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shut up,” she laughs, “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she steps back, wrapping her arms around herself, “I just don’t want to spend the night fighting with you,” she runs a hand through her locs, staring down at her feet, “I guess I was about to get a little out of line there.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We both were,” Nicky chuckles, offering her a smile, “The truth is I was kind of scared you were about to pull out those moves Camilo taught you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She laughs, rolling her eyes as she sits back down on her stool, “I mean I was starting to consider it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m glad I could make you reconsider,”  Nicky smiles at her and she rolls her eyes with a grin, leaning her cheek against her fist.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t fully made up my mind yet actually,” Robyn replies, glancing out towards Elladine and the girls before turning her attention back to him, “Because Nicky, honestly? I’m sorry but what were you </span>
  <em>
    <span>thinking</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I get it, you wanted to make sure I was safe. But now Elladine…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her voice trails off and Nicky sighs, scratching his head as he decides to take his seat again. As much as he wants to leave and avoid the whole situation, he knows he has to take responsibility for all the confusion he’s caused. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now Elladine probably thinks that I turned your head… Like,” Robyn frowns, avoiding Nicky’s eyes as she continues, “Like… We are a friendship couple…” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t we?” She glances up at him through her lashes, beating down the tiny spark of hope in her chest. It’s like no matter how much time she spends with Camilo, that spark is always lingering in the back of her head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Nicky blurts out the word quickly, his eyes darting to the lawn, “Yeah, of course we are. I just know that you and Camilo deserve another chance.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Robyn bites her lip, ignoring the disappointment that shouldn’t be there, “You and Elladine do too. I want you to be happy.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I want you to be happy too,” Nicky replies with a sigh, turning to drum his fingers against the counter top again. He bites on the end of his thumb, a nervous habit picked up from the woman beside him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I wish you would have put yourself first,” Robyn responds with a frown, crossing her arms over her chest, “I can figure things out with Camilo a lot easier than you having to explain this to Elladine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky glances towards her from the corner of his eye, his dismay obvious, “I know… Robyn, what am I supposed to tell her?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She sighs and plays with the ends of her locs as she tries to think, jumping slightly as the kettle screams making Nicky chuckle and shake his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to be the jumpiest person I know,” he says with a grin as she slides down from her stool, “Always the one making a cup of tea, just to forget about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn scrunches up her nose at him as she walks around to remove the kettle, ignoring his comment as she grabs two mugs and begins fixing the tea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, well,” she finally replies, “You have to be the dumbest person I know, but you don’t hear me calling you a dumbass.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky bursts out laughing, “Wow. That was cold, Robyn.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Just let me be mad at you,” she chuckles, glancing up at him, “I’m trying really hard and you’re making it difficult.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, are there any other insults you’d like to throw my way?” Nicky asks with an arched brow, “I’d rather catch them now while I’m prepared.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d rather catch you off guard so I think I’ll wait,” She smirks at him, sliding his mug across the counter towards him before she pauses, glancing down at her own mug. She bites her lip before sliding it across towards Nicky as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks up at her in confusion, “I get two cups?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she shakes her head and giggles, leaning against the counter, “You’re going to take that to Elladine as a peace offering.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Nicky nods his head, “You want Elladine to throw hot tea on me instead of you so you don’t look like the bad guy,” he winks at her, “I see what you’re trying to do.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughs, pinching the bridge of her nose, “No… First of all, Elladine wouldn’t do that. Second, you just need to go over there and talk to her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky blows out a deep breath, “I know, I’m… just not looking forward to that chat.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The truth is he doesn’t expect Elladine to forgive him tonight, but he knows that he owes her an explanation. But in his mind, one doesn’t quite exist. He knows that he hurt her and it killed him to see the tears streaming down her face, but he was unworthy to wipe the tears from her eyes. He’s never made such an irrational decision, usually careful to outweigh his options. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the pressure of tonight didn’t allow him the time and now regret doesn’t quite fit the emotions he’s feeling now. All he knows is he hurt a good woman and potentially rid himself of a shot at her love and affection. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember how this feels next time you don’t want to listen to me,” Robyn reaches over and pinches his cheek, making him squirm as her touch pulls him from his thoughts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He swats her hand away, “Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>mom</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I get it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grins at him as he narrows his eyes at her, “Your mom is probably glad I’m here to tell you about yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky sighs because he wants to be irritated with her. But Robyn’s cheeky grin softens his heart, making it impossible for him to stay angry with her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So instead he just picks up the mugs as he stands, “As much as I hate it, you’re probably right.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know I am,” Robyn smiles at him, moving to refill the kettle with water, “Now go over there and apologize to my girl.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky takes a deep breath before nodding Robyn a goodbye. She offers him an encouraging smile before he walks away with the warm mugs in his hand, still quietly pondering on his own selfishness. He still doesn’t even know how to explain his resolve to save Robyn tonight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because the selfish thing to do would have been to pick Elladine instead, right? What was it about the idea of Robyn going home that made him lose his head like this? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She is just a friend. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you mind if I join you?” Nicky says as he approaches the loungers. The girls turn to face him, disapproval written all over their faces. Elladine is the only one who doesn’t bother to face him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think we do mind,” Miki responds, her eyes roaming up and down Nicky with a frown. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighs, “I mean no disrespect, Miki, but I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to Elladine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Miki looks taken aback, glancing towards Elladine as they all await her answer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she finally says, wiping her cheek, “It’s fine. I want to chat with Nicky. Can you girls give me a minute?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, hun,” Genevieve rubs her back affectionately before she goes to the stand. Miki follows her lead, glancing at Nicky over her shoulder as they walk away. Genevieve heads towards the kitchen to join Robyn as Miki heads into the Villa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Would you like some tea?” Nicky asks quietly, coming to sit in the lounger next to Elladine. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She glances down at the mug he offers her, still avoiding his eyes as she quietly takes it from his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what did she tell you?” Elladine says, staring down at Nicky’s shoes as she grasps the warm cup in her hands. The emotions from the recoupling still weigh heavily on her heart, wondering how she could be so clueless to what was going on right in front of her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky furrows his brows, “You mean Robyn?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Who else?” Elladine snaps, looking up at him in disbelief. She bites her lip to distract herself from getting teary eyed once more. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky frowns, dragging his hand across his face as his eyes dart out towards the pool, “I know how this may look, Ella. It’s not like that. Robyn actually told me not to pick her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Elladine blinks in confusion as he meets her eyes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t want you to think that Robyn went behind your back because she didn’t,” he sighs, “The only guilty person here is me. I made a last minute decision at the firepit and I…” he hesitates, biting his lip, “I just said her name.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So that was it?” Elladine frowns, narrowing her eyes in frustration, “You just said her name? Why? Why did you…” she sniffs, shaking her head before meeting his eyes, “Why did you pick her over </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>? I thought… I thought we were doing great, I thought… I just don’t understand, Nicky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her angry tears threaten to overflow again and Nicky hangs his head, looking down at his feet. The disappointment is crippling, a reminder that he isn’t as good of a man as he tries to make himself out to be. He just let Elladine down in the worst way possible. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” he forces himself to meet her eyes, “I’m so sorry. We were doing great, it’s just…” he drags his hand over his face again, his knee bouncing nervously, “I don’t know what came over me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought I could trust you,” she interrupts, gesturing between them, “This morning you literally said we were good, that I could move at my own pace. But you lied.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t lie,” Nicky interrupts her, guilt choking his heart, “I may have made a mistake. But I didn’t lie to you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So you just changed your mind then?” She replies, swallowing back her pride, “You just decided that you would rather save a girl who’s obviously interested in someone else when I was right there, betting on you. You really expect me to believe that you and Robyn haven't been getting together behind my back?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t!” He says, biting his lip, “I promise.  I just wanted to help a friend, I wasn’t cheating on you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even after all that time you spent together?” Elladine asks, her knuckles turning white as she grips the mug in her hand tightly, “You’ve even sung for her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He leans back in surprise, wondering how she even knew that, “What does that have to do with anything?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You haven’t sung for me,” She replies angrily. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ve never cared enough to ask me to,” He responds, wishing he would have bit his tongue as her face flushes red. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I shouldn’t have to ask!” She says, her voice shaky, “I was your partner but I could have been on a plane home right now because of you!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He winces, looking down at the mug in his hand as an uncomfortable silence hangs in the air between them. The truth in her words was like a slap to the face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t say anything except that I’m sorry,” Nicky finally replies, glancing up at her, “I’m not going to sit here and try to lie to you. I haven’t been grafting on Robyn, she’s just a friend to me. I wanted to… I wanted to keep her safe but all I did was put you in danger,” he shakes his head, a sad chuckle escaping his lips, “All I did tonight was lose you and I take the full burden of that. You deserve better than me, Elladine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what?” She says, wiping moisture from her cheeks, “Part of me wishes I would have kissed you today. Maybe I had the chance to make it so that you didn’t have such a hard time choosing tonight,” she bites her lip, shaking her head as she goes to stand, “But maybe you’re right. I do deserve better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky can’t help but stare in disbelief as Elladine walks away, some part of him was still hoping for the forgiveness that he doesn’t deserve. But he knows it could never be that simple. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The guilt weighs even heavier now realizing that he not only lost Elladine tonight but he potentially destroyed her friendship with Robyn too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span class="u">
    <strong>Part II - Rumors Fly</strong>
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Robyn gasps, her brows furrowed together, “She said that about me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve nods, their heads bowed together as they talk quietly, careful not to be overheard by any of the others as they stand in the kitchen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes,” Geneveive whispers, her eyes darting towards the spot where Nicky and Elladine are talking now, “Miki told her that she caught you and Nicky in the dressing room together and that Nicky was singing to you and everything. She made it out like you were grafting hard. I told Elladine that doesn’t sound like you or Nicky. But, I mean after he chose you tonight, it was hard to convince her.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blinks, not completely taken off guard by what Genevieve is telling her. She knows that Miki saw her and Nicky in the dressing room that day, but they weren’t doing anything they weren’t supposed to. Or at least she thought that they weren’t. Regardless, Miki blew it out of proportion. It was harmless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe she would lie to Elladine like that,” Robyn mumbles before groaning in frustration, “Why would she do that? We were just playing around because he caught me singing earlier.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve shrugs, “I don’t know, but I would definitely be careful around Miki, hun.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn bites the end of her thumb, her other hand resting on her hip, “Do you think she told Iona?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve arches a brow at her, “If she told anyone else, you know it has to be her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ugh,” Robyn sighs, “The last thing I need now is for Iona to be telling Camilo the same thing.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve nods before biting her lip, “But are you alright, hun? Have you chatted with Camilo yet?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she frowns, shaking her head, “I haven’t… I was honestly worried about Nicky and Elladine. They’re both miserable and I haven’t even begun to process my own problems.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should definitely chat with him before you go to bed tonight,” Genevieve suggests, “Before the sun goes down on your wrath and all. I know you have to be angry about it.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn laughs softly, picking up the new cup of tea she made. She brings it to her lips before taking a sip, “I was honestly expecting it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Weren’t we all?” Genevieve shakes her head and rolls her eyes, “I just don’t understand why you would couple up with someone who obviously isn’t into you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My thoughts exactly,” Robyn replies with a sigh, “But… At least I’m safe for now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Genevieve nods, “Nicky’s a good mate. Not to be blunt, but I don’t think that I would have chosen to save a friend over someone I had a romantic connection with.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn frowns, glancing up at Genevieve, “Yeah… Me either.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Honestly, she hadn’t really thought about that before. Would she have returned the favor, choosing Nicky over Camilo? The question requires a more difficult answer then she cares to dwell on.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve bites her lip, “Are you like… sure Nicky doesn’t see you as more than a friend?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” Robyn chuckles, attempting to hide the fact that her cheeks are growing warm at the thought, “Of course not. He made it clear this is a friendship couple.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well yeah but,” Genevieve offers Robyn a smile, “I don’t know… No offense to Elladine, but I think that the two of you are cute together.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes, avoiding Genevieve’s gaze, “I don’t think so… And then that would just make it seem like Miki was right all along when Nicky and I have a completely platonic relationship. Plus, I couldn’t do that Camilo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Genevieve pauses, a slow grin spreading across her face, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn arches her brow, her cheeks growing warmer as she looks at Genevieve in confusion, “What? What am I saying?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That you’d consider it,” Genevieve smirks, nudging Robyn’s side and making her giggle, “You totally fancy him! You’d consider being more than friends if you weren’t worried about the drama.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wha- What?” Robyn laughs, her hand running through her locs nervously, “No! Not at all, I only see Nicky as a mate.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No. I was right!” Genevieve squeals, “You should've listened to me and taken Nicky on that date.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn shakes her head furiously, “No, Viv! You’re wrong. Nicky made it pretty clear how he feels about me and we already have a great friendship. I don’t want to disrespect that by overstepping his boundaries.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fair,” Genevieve sighs in disappointment, “Can’t say I didn’t try.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn chuckles, hoping she’s said enough to convince Genevieve to drop the subject as she rolls her eyes, “I’m honestly more curious about you anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve arches her brow, “Me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, you,” Robyn grins, “Why didn’t you and Seb couple up?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve crinkles her nose and rolls her eyes, “Because me and Seb are just friends.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Robyn arches a brow at her, “But the question is how friendly are you?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve nudges Robyn again and laughs, “Stop that. I could ask you the same question. You’re the one with all the boys chasing you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blushes and furrows her brows in shock, “I am not.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You kind of do,” Elladine interrupts, looking at Robyn from the edge of the kitchen, the cup of tea in her hands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Elladine,” Robyn says in surprise, taking a step towards her with a frown, curious to how long she’s been standing there, “Hey hun, are you okay?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine sighs, stepping into the kitchen as she sits her mug on the counter, “I’m alright. I just finished chatting with Nicky.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Genevieve exchanges a glance with Robyn before they both look out towards the loungers where Nicky still sat, looking down at the cup in his hand, lost in a daze. Camilo is making his way over to him, taking a seat in the lounge chair beside him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn bites her lip, quietly nervous about the chat that’s about to happen between the two of them as she goes to stand beside Elladine, “Yeah? How did it go?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine is silent for a moment, taking a sip of her tea before sitting it back down, “He said you told him not to pick you today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s true,” Robyn nods, glancing at her nervously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did that even come up?” Elladine turns to look at Robyn, her brow arched, “Why were the two of you even talking about recoupling with each other?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn opens her mouth, pausing a second too long before she responds, “I brought it up. I just wanted to make it clear to him how I felt because he’s such a good mate. I didn’t want to leave any room for him to reconsider because I know how happy the two of you were together.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did Robyn just lie to cover his ass? Yes, yes she did. And she hates it, but if she tells Elladine the truth, it will only make Nicky look worse. She can’t wrap her head around why he would make such a last minute decision after she told him not to, but Robyn has the full intention to do what she can to get them back together.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And was a little white lie with good intentions really that bad? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine swallows, nodding as she looks back down at the mug in her hand, “He said that you’re just a friend to him. I hope you know that, I wouldn’t want you to get played too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Girl, it’s not that at all,” Robyn sighs, resting her hand on Elladine’s shoulder, “I’m still into Camilo. If I could explain why Nicky made that decision tonight, I would. But honestly, we’re just friends. We don’t have any feelings towards each other like that. Frankly, I think he’s an idiot for not coupling up with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine giggles, offering Robyn a smile small, “Thanks, hun. I appreciate it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn returns her smile, “You’re welcome. But I’m serious. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>does </span>
  </em>
  <span>like you. I think he just freaked out for some reason.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I want to believe you, Robyn,” Elladine sighs, biting her lip, “I really do. But I just need some time, is that alright? I really want us to both be friends. Especially if you’re telling the truth, but I think I need some space… I’m not mad at you, I just need to process.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, hun,” Robyn embraces Elladine, squeezing her tightly, “I completely understand.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Elladine returns her hug, finding comfort in the arms of her friend, before she backs away to sit her mug in the sink.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll wash that for you,” Robyn offers with a smile, already turning the water on in the sink. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Elladine smiles, “I appreciate it. I think I’m just going to go ahead and get ready for bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be up there when I finish the washing,” Robyn replies. Elladine nods, offering her another grateful smile before turning to leave, heading inside the Villa. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, that could have been worse,” Genevieve says, glancing over her shoulder as she comes to stand beside Robyn, “I’m glad you two aren’t letting a man come between you.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>
    <span class="u">Part III - What I Wish I Knew</span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo tosses and turns with a sigh, unable to sleep properly knowing that Robyn isn’t laying by his side. Not to mention the owl that constantly cries out every five minutes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He glances towards Nicky, who appears to be sleeping quietly on the next daybed over. He wishes that he could ignore the outdoor noises and the heat like Nicky, but it’s making it impossible for him to sleep now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo sighs, looking out towards the lawn as he wonders how he ended up in this situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn’t understand why Iona still picked him tonight, forcing the two of them together when he obviously has feelings for Robyn. He’s made sure to make it well-known. Angry and frustrated, he doesn’t quite understand how he even tolerates sitting still right now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He and Robyn chatted before bed when he let her know he was sleeping out the daybeds. He wanted to show he’s loyal so he refused to climb into bed with Iona tonight. Nicky offered to join him, saying that Elladine would probably be more comfortable in the bedroom if he wasn’t there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two of them chatted about nothing in particular after Camilo thanked him for saving Robyn. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No problem,” Nicky had said before declaring he had a real appreciation for her friendship. He let Camilo know he had no intentions to pursue her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nicky made it obvious that he only saved Robyn tonight because he considers her to be his closest friend in the Villa. He saved her for the sake of her happiness over his own and Camilo can appreciate that.  It should have helped him sleep more peacefully tonight.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he’s still restless. And there’s only one thing that can soothe his mind. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo sits up, careful not to wake Nicky as he leaves the daybeds and heads inside the Villa. He quietly enters the bedroom, his eyes scan the room until they fall onto the only person in the Villa that can calm his stirring emotions.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn is in bed alone, her back turned to him. The only thing you can see is her bun and colorful scarf peeking out from under the white duvet. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Part of him is just so relieved that she’s still in the Villa tonight. It makes him sick to consider the fact that she could have left without them having a proper chance to couple up again. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that he’s necessarily happy she’s in a friendship couple with Nicky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo glances towards Iona before he approaches Robyn’s bed, not making a sound as he crosses the room. The last thing he wanted now is for Iona to wake up and see him attempting to sneak around with Robyn now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The thought provides him with a brief pause, making him consider if he should actually wake Robyn up when suddenly she peeks over her shoulder, making him jump in surprise. He chuckles, shaking his head when she giggles and rolls over to offer him a sleepy smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” she whispers softly, her hand coming to cup his cheek.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I couldn’t sleep,” he replies, biting his lip as her thumb strokes his jawline. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She chuckles, “You miss me already?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know it, chica,” he says, leaning forward to press a kiss to her lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mmm,” she hums against his lips, her hand sliding around to hold his neck, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. His hand caresses her cheek as they pull away breathless. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I miss you too,” she bites her lip at him, her eyes drifting over his features as she smiles, “But you know, Iona isn’t going to like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugs, “She should have thought twice about that before trying to break us up.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The truth is Iona probably will probably be upset with him if she finds out. There </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>rules on Love Island afterall, but what should she expect? He told her he was happy yet she picked him anyway. She’d have to try harder if she thought she was going to turn his head. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Because his biggest concern is that he’s utterly frustrated that he won’t get to wake up with Robyn in his arms tomorrow morning. It’s even worse knowing she’s over here sleeping all alone. Again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He can buy his time and wait until the next recoupling, but he can’t imagine how he would feel if new guys were added now. Or if Nicky changed his mind and decided to try something on her. Camilo isn't sure how well he’d handle it, not that he didn’t trust Robyn… But he can’t ignore Iona’s warnings, now slightly backed by Nicky’s actions tonight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn sighs, “Yeah… I can’t believe she did that. Even after you talked to her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,” he frowns, playing with a loose piece of fabric from her scarf. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This sucks,” she bites her lip.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, “Yeah, I know that too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know you’re also the only reason why I haven’t smacked her upside the head yet,” she mumbles.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He laughs quietly, shaking his head, “Come on, chica. You’re more civilized than that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She grunts, “You don’t know that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I do,” he grins and kisses her again, “Maybe I’ll let Iona pick me again. You’re kind of cute when you’re jealous.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulls away and narrows her eyes at him, “I wish you would.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Too soon?” He laughs softly, biting his lip as she glares at him but her jealousy boosts his confidence. She still has feelings for him whether she’s with Nicky or not. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Way too soon,” she rolls her eyes and tries to roll away from him, but he grabs her by the shoulder and pulls her to him for a snuggle. She doesn’t put up much of a fight as he wraps her in his arms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know what you deserve?” he whispers in her ear, knowing he needs to make up for that slick comment. And he has the perfect idea. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” she says, allowing herself to nuzzle into his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“To relax,” he pulls back and grins at her, “Let’s sneak into the Hideaway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?” her eyes go wide and she has to stop herself from laughing out loud, “You’re joking, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo grins, placing a meaningful kiss on her lips, “Not at all. Get your bathing suit on and meet me in the hot tub.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But,” she blushes and bites her lip, her excitement obvious, “We could get in trouble…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s half the fun, innit?” He smirks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well…” she giggles,”When you put it like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She returns his grin as she throws the duvet from over her body to climb out of bed. Robyn is buzzing as she makes her way to the dressing room, doing her best not to wake anyone else. Once she’s out of sight, Camilo gets to work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Lucky for him, it doesn’t take much work to break into the Hideaway after he changed into his tunks. He grabbed a bobby pin from Elladine’s nightstand on his way to the room and was able to pick the lock with ease.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Breaking and entering isn’t a normal activity for him. It’s just a good skill to have if he forgets the keys to the restaurant and doesn’t want to rush back home at five in the morning when a delivery is on the way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He silently pushes open the door and leaves it cracked before making his way to the balcony. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The moon light is the only thing illuminating the terrace of the Hideaway as he steps outside. The hot tub isn’t bubbling and he searches for a button to turn it on, finding it immediately. Soon the hot water ripples and begins to bubble as the jets are turned on, mood lighting slowly appears under the water and helps him find a way to step inside. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As he relaxes against the jets, staring up at the sparking night sky, the tension from the day's events finally begins to leave his body as he waits patiently for Robyn. He’ll be able to sleep soundly after this, knowing he’ll finally have the chance to spend time with her properly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But he isn’t prepared as his gaze falls from the midnight sky to find Robyn stepping through the door in a little black bikini he hadn’t seen before. She even wears the beaded bracelet around her thigh that he likes so much. She never fails to take his breath away, official couple or not.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” she says with a sweet smile, coming to stand at the edge of the tub.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi,” Camilo replies, swallowing back the lump in his throat as he moves to the edge and offers her hand. She takes it gratefully before she climbs the steps to join him in the hot tub, the warm steam rising as her body sinks into the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can’t believe that we’re actually doing this,” she laughs, coming to sit beside him, “What if we get caught?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll find out tomorrow,” he replies with a chuckle, relaxing against the jet once again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess you’re right,” She laughs, the hot water bubbling around her sprinkles drops of water on her shoulders.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She leans her head back and rolls her neck, sighing happily, “But this was an amazing idea, I’ll face whatever consequences.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” he replies, meeting her eyes as she smiles at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah,” she giggles, her fingertips brushing against his shoulders, “Anything to get more time with you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s what I like to hear,” he smirks and comes closer, giving her a gentle kiss, “How about cooking breakfast with me in the morning?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be there,” she replies with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo grins, leaning back against the jet. A comfortable silence forms between them as they both enjoy the momentary peace, the only sound is the bubbling of the water. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Camilo can’t help the thoughts that are running through his head now that he has her here. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Did she ask Nicky to choose her tonight and he obliged? Did Nicky have a plan to stay safe at the next recoupling? Did she talk to Elladine? How did she feel about Iona? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Camilo starts, his curiosity getting the best of him, “Did you get to have a chat with Nicky tonight? I know things have been pretty crazy between him and Elladine.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn peeks open her eyes before letting out a sigh, “Yeah. I tried to talk some sense into him.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Camilo frowns, “What do you mean?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told him not to pick me earlier,” Robyn shifts her weight, obviously uncomfortable now, “And well, he did it anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He arches a brow at her, “Well, yeah. But he kept you safe. That makes him good in my books.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But did he really?” She glances up at Camilo with a frown, “Because Elladine didn’t get sent home and now, well. Who’s Nicky going to end up with?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not you</span>
  </em>
  <span> is Camilo’s only thought as he shrugs, “A new girl can come in at any time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn glances away, her arms crossing over her body under the water, “Well, yeah. But he likes her, like a lot. And she likes him. They’re so good together.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You think so?” Camilo asks her sketically, “I don’t know. Elladine is kind of… What’s the word? Not bossy but… um…” he allows his words to trail off as Robyn shots him a glare, “What? She is. Nicky just did everything she asked and they haven’t even kissed yet.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn blinks, appearing taken aback, “What? They haven't kissed?” She frowns, “I was under the impression that… Well, that they were so solid and into each other.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He shrugs, “I’m just telling you what he told the guys. I mean that doesn’t mean that they don’t like each other, just moving a bit slow, I guess. I think that’s what he said. But I actually think he and Elladine are the only couple who haven’t done anything beside Miki and Bill.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Well, he hasn’t told me this</span>
  </em>
  <span> is what Robyn wants to say, feeling a little betrayed that Nicky had shared more with the guys than he had with her. Not to mention, she feels slightly led astray. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not that she has any right to now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’s sneaking around in the hot tub with Camilo in the middle of the night. She should feel happy and content to know he’s still into her, risking their status on Love Island to steal some alone time together but something about this information adds fuel to a fire that’s constantly burning right beneath the surface. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>To know that Nicky may not be as into Elladine as she first thought upsets her, making her wish that she took advantage of Genevieve’s suggestion after she brought it up again tonight. It makes her wonder if maybe she could have changed his mind before it was too late. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But unfortunately, it is. She’s in too deep with Camilo, her main concern now is to fight through the petty drama to get back to sharing a bed with him every night. There’s no point in wasting any more thoughts about how this week could have played out if she took Nicky on that brunch date. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But the truth is… Maybe that’s why she was more concerned by his decision tonight then being separated from Camilo. She expected that Iona would steal Camilo. She saw it coming when the text was read out loud, but she knows she can make her way back to him as long as she’s still in the Villa. They were solid, Camilo’s honesty provides her with the knowledge and security that she can deal with Iona’s petty drama.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Nicky? She put up with the initial rejection, burying her secret crush deep down every time he plopped down beside her for a friendly chat and made her heart skip a beat with the way the humor danced in his brown eyes as he teased her or revealed some new part of himself she didn’t know before. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She remembered the ease of their conversation that first night, the way they were able to sit in silence as if they had known each other longer than a few hours. Something clicked for her, but it was embarrassingly obvious how one-sided it was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s on your mind?” Camilo suddenly interrupts her thoughts, looking at her curiously.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” she bites her lip, realizing she’s gone quiet, “Nothing. I’m just surprised is all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why? He didn’t tell you that?” Camilo arches a brow in surprise. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,” she shakes her head, avoiding his eyes as she’s guilty for letting her mind wander. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Interesting,” Camilo mumbles, leaning back against the jets, his eyes drifting down to the water, “I would have thought that since you two are so close that he would have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she sighs, “Me too. But anyway,” she glances at him, wanting to change the subject, “How are you feeling? Is Iona everything you dreamed of?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo burst out laughing, shaking his head, “Excuse me, chica? The only woman I ever dream of is you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Robyn grins at him, “Yeah?”  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You know it,” He grins and scoots a little closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, “I actually had a dream about you last night.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She tries to fight the smile spreading on her face, biting her lip as she looks up at him, “Oh? What was it about it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Something like this,” he replies simply, taking her by the chin and making her blush as he pulls her face closer to his, tilting his head to kiss her on the lips before allowing his lips to trace her jawline up to her ear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The only difference is you had a lot less on,” he whispers, placing a kiss behind her ear. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I barely have anything on now,” she laughs breathlessly, her hand resting on his arm. She loves the way she can feel his muscles flex as his hand moves to grasp her hip under the water. His gentle squeeze sends a delightful sensation through her body.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Camilo chuckles, his breath tickling her neck as he presses lingering kisses down her neck, “I guess that’s very telling of where the rest of my dream was headed.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, why don’t we make it come true?” She suggests, her hand coming to rest on his shoulders as she bites her lip, the feeling of his lips on her skin turned her on in the best way possible, “It’s not every night you get a moment like this.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Say no more,” Camilo pulls back and grins at her before pulling her into his lap, his hands gripping her thighs as she straddles him with a giggle, her arms resting around his neck.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The steam of the hot tub rises around them as he leans in to continue his kisses on her neck. He has no intention of letting his lips leave her body again tonight, “Just tell me how you want it.” </span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I love hearing your thoughts so feel free to leave comments!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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